PRAGUE — Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình held talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Tomislav Donchev on September 30 as part of his ongoing visit to Bulgaria.
The two sides briefed each other on the situation in each country and discussed regional and international issues of shared concern.
They noted that the Việt Nam-Bulgaria economic-trade cooperation has seen progress over the years, but has yet to match their potential. Two-way trade has reached only about US$100 million per year.
In order to improve the partnership, they agreed to hold the 24th meeting of the Việt Nam-Bulgaria Inter-Governmental Committee on economic cooperation soon, while strengthening trade and investment promotion activities, encouraging and creating optimal conditions for businesses of both sides to seek partners, especially in areas of Bulgaria’s strength and Việt Nam’s demand such as agriculture, pharmaceutical chemistry and IT.
Bình thanked the people and Government of Bulgaria for supporting Việt Nam during the past struggle for independence and current national construction and development, affirming that Việt Nam always attached great importance to developing friendship and all-round cooperation with traditional friends in central and eastern Europe, including Bulgaria.
He highly valued the growth in traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, especially in politics, with the regular exchange of delegations, including many high-level ones.
The Vietnamese Deputy PM conveyed invitations from Vietnamese leaders to Bulgarian leaders to visit Việt Nam for the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2020.
Bulgarian Deputy PM Donchev showed his admiration for the achievements that Việt Nam has gained over the years, especially high economic growth and stable social welfare as well as its rising international and regional status.
He affirmed his country’s support for strengthening the relations between Việt Nam and the European Union, including the early signing and ratification of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
He lauded the efforts and contributions of the Vietnamese community in Bulgaria to the host country’s growth and the development of ties between the two countries.
He described the nearly 4,000 Vietnamese people who used to work and study in Bulgaria as an important basis for the development of bilateral friendship and all-round cooperation.
The two sides concurred to further strengthen cooperation in culture, tourism, science-technology, labour, security and defence, while speeding up the signing of an agreement on education collaboration in the 2019-22 period.
At the talks, Bình thanked Bulgaria for supporting Việt Nam’s run for the position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-21 tenure.
They pledged to continue cooperating with and supporting each other at multilateral forums and international organisations.
Regarding the East Sea issue, the two Deputy PMs underlined the significance of maintaining peace, stability, maritime and aviation security in the region, the need to solve disputes by peaceful means and respect for international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).
Earlier the same day, Deputy PM Bình met President of Bulgaria's Supreme Court Lozan Panov, during which he affirmed that Việt Nam wished to learn from Bulgaria’s experience in personnel training and court reform, thus enhancing the efficiency of court activities in Việt Nam.
Both sides agreed that authorised agencies of the two sides should work more closely in judicial and administrative reform as well as law building.
Bình conveyed the Chief Judge of Việt Nam’s invitation to President of the Supreme People’s Court Panov to visit Việt Nam.
Panov held that Việt Nam and Bulgaria had great potential for cooperation, especially in court activities, organised and hi-tech crime prevention and combat. — VNS