President Trần Đại Quang (R) receives outgoing Bulgarian Ambassador to Việt Nam Ebgueni Stefanov Stoytchev in Hà Nội on September 28. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is willing to serve as a bridge supporting Bulgaria and the EU in enhancing relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states. 

President Trần Đại Quang made the statement at a reception for outgoing Bulgarian Ambassador to Việt Nam Ebgueni Stefanov Stoytchev in Hà Nội on September 28. 
He recognised the ambassador’s active and effective contributions to promoting bilateral co-operation in various fields such as politics, external affairs, economy, trade, security, defence and local collaboration along with the two countries’ close coordination at multilateral forums and international organisations. 
As Bulgaria took over the rotational presidency of the EU Council in January 2018, President Quang proposed the country support Việt Nam in bolstering partnership with the EU and soon signing and ratifying the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). 
He urged the two countries to soon conduct the 24th meeting of the inter-governmental committee on economic, trade and scientific co-operation with the implementation of practical and specific projects with a view to increasing two-way trade. 
Việt Nam and Bulgaria should encourage co-operation among training facilities and increase the number of annual scholarships, he suggested. 
He thanked Bulgaria for backing Việt Nam’s bid to become a member of the UNESCO Executive Council in the 2015-19 period and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2016-18, as well as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-21. 
Bulgaria will back relations between the EU and Việt Nam and believes that the EVFTA will create more economic and trade co-operation opportunities for both sides once ratified, said Ambassador Stoytchev. 

This year marks the 60th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh’s visit to Bulgaria, he said, adding that a wide range of activities have been carried out across his country to celebrate this event, including a photo exhibition on the life and revolutionary career of the President. — VNS