Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov at the inauguration ceremony of the Statue of President Hồ Chí Minh in the premises of the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria. VNA/VNS Photos

SOFIA — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam, attended the inauguration ceremony of the Statue of President Hồ Chí Minh in the premises of the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria on Friday afternoon (local time) within the framework of their official visit to the European country.

Also attending the ceremony were Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, representatives of the Bulgaria - Việt Nam Friendship Association, and Bulgarian friends, as well as the ambassadors, staff of the Vietnamese embassies and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Balkan region, including Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and the Czech Republic.

In a solemn and emotional atmosphere, General Secretary Lâm and Deputy PM Zafirov performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially placing the Statue of President Hồ Chí Minh - the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people, hero of national liberation, and great man of culture.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyễn Thị Minh Nguyệt expressed her honour to welcome the General Secretary and his wife along with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to visit and inaugurate the Statue of President Hồ Chí Minh at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950–2025).

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm delivered a remark at the ceremony.

General Secretary Lâm thanked the State and people of Bulgaria for always having good sentiments for Việt Nam over the past 75 years. He emphasised that this official visit to Bulgaria was very important, right on the special occasion that the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two countries have agreed to upgrade their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. The upgrading of the relationship is very important, orienting cooperation, working together to serve the development of the two countries, for the people of Việt Nam and Bulgaria, and contributing to global peace and development.

The Party chief also pointed out the new contents of the freshly-established Việt Nam - Bulgaria Strategic Partnership focusing on six main pillars.

He stressed that the embassy is not only a representative agency of Việt Nam abroad but also a common home for the Vietnamese community abroad, a reliable address, and a support for compatriots, where people place their trust, affection and enthusiasm for the homeland.

On this occasion, General Secretary Lâm presented the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria with a bronze drum painting and presented overseas Vietnamese with gifts from the homeland and Vietnamese books for children and Vietnamese language classes of the community.

He hoped that the books about the Vietnamese language, Vietnamese culture, heroic history and thousands-year tradition of the country and people of Việt Nam would continue to connect generations of Vietnamese people abroad with their roots and the homeland, and be a source of inspiration, fostering national pride and love for the homeland for generations of Vietnamese people abroad. VNA/VNS