Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in Sofia. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

SOFIA — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm had a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov in Sofia on Friday as part of his official visit to Bulgaria.

PM Zhelyazkov congratulated Việt Nam on its socio-economic development achievements, affirming that Việt Nam is one of Bulgaria’s most important and reliable partners in Southeast Asia.

The host considered the visit and the establishment of the Strategic Partnership, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, as a historic landmark in the countries' relations that creates a new driving force for their traditional friendship to reach a new height.

For his part, Party General Secretary Lâm reiterated that Việt Nam treasures its traditional friendship with Bulgaria and always keeps in mind the valuable assistance extended by the Bulgarian people during both the country's past struggle for national liberation and its present cause of national development.

He briefed his host on the outcomes of his talks with President Rumen Radev and the adoption of a joint statement on upgrading bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership, a milestone that opens up a new chapter and creates fresh momentum for extensive, substantive, and effective cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.

The two leaders agreed to enhance political trust, boost high-level mutual visits and meetings between the countries' Parties, States, Governments, and parliaments, and promote people-to-people exchanges.

They underlined the role of the two foreign ministries in enhancing bilateral cooperation, and pledged joint efforts to implement the Strategic Partnership and effectively leverage existing mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Committee and the Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. They also agreed to explore new cooperation mechanisms matching the upgraded ties.

Highlighting economic, trade, and investment connections as the main impetus of bilateral relations, the two leaders emphasised the need for both countries to fully tap opportunities offered by the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), strengthen supply chain resilience, and expand logistics connectivity via seaports, with the goal of doubling bilateral trade in the coming years.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Việt Nam stands ready to facilitate the entry of Bulgarian products into its domestic and ASEAN markets, while hoping Bulgaria will serve as a gateway for Vietnamese goods to the EU, reduce trade barriers, and support Vietnamese businesses to invest in Bulgaria.

Party General Secretary Lâm also proposed further stepping up cooperation in traditional fields such as education and training, culture and tourism, health care, labour, and agriculture. He called on Bulgaria to persuade the European Commission to soon lift the “yellow card” warning on Việt Nam’s seafood exports and to accelerate the signing of an intergovernmental agreement on healthcare collaboration.

PM Zhelyazkov expressed Bulgaria’s readiness to closely coordinate with the Vietnamese Government in effectively implementing the Strategic Partnership.

At the meeting, both host and guest noted the vast potential for cooperation in new areas such as digital transformation, the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and e-government. They underlined the commitment to making science and technology an important pillar of the Việt Nam–Bulgaria Strategic Partnership.

Party General Secretary Lâm also called on Bulgarian authorities to continue supporting eligible Vietnamese citizens in obtaining Bulgarian nationality and helping the Vietnamese community integrate more deeply into local society, thus contributing to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

In addition, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at international forums, particularly within the UN and ASEAN–EU frameworks, and to work together in addressing global challenges including climate change, energy security, and sustainable development.

The Party General Secretary also took this occasion to convey PM Phạm Minh Chính's invitation to visit Việt Nam to PM Zhelyazkov. — VNA/VNS