Vietnam, Bulgaria elevate 75-year friendship to strategic partnership

The announcement came during a joint press briefing after their meeting, part of General Secretary Lam’s official visit to Bulgaria from October 22 to 24 at President Radev’s invitation.

Speaking to the media, President Radev emphasized the significance of Lam’s visit, noting that it opens new opportunities for bilateral relations and deepens cooperation between the two countries.

He praised Vietnam’s achievements in its Doi moi reform process, national development, and international integration, saying the country’s strong economic growth and rising political profile make it an important player in Southeast Asia.

Radev described the talks as highly successful and confirmed that Vietnam and Bulgaria, which established diplomatic ties in 1950, had agreed to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership.

Looking ahead, he expressed hope that the two nations would boost cooperation in traditional areas such as defense and security, education and training, science and technology, agriculture, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

General Secretary Lam said the establishment of the strategic partnership represents a major milestone that provides a foundation for deeper cooperation.

He noted that a joint statement had been issued to formalize the new framework, creating a solid basis for strengthening ties, leveraging each country’s strengths, and promoting sustainable development.

To implement the joint statement, both sides agreed on measures to enhance political trust through high-level exchanges, promote defense and security cooperation, and expand academic partnerships between military academies and research institutions.

Cooperation will also include areas such as UN peacekeeping, cybersecurity, and military medicine.

Amid global economic challenges, the two countries were committed to prioritizing economic, trade, and investment cooperation as a key pillar of the new partnership.

They pledged to maintain and expand free trade while improving market access for each other’s goods, positioning Vietnam as a gateway for Bulgarian products to ASEAN and Bulgaria as an entry point for Vietnamese exports to the European Union.

Science and technology collaboration will be another focus, with plans to develop joint programs in IT training, digital transformation, e-government, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and green energy.

In addition, both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in education, healthcare, culture, labor, tourism, and agriculture, as well as organize cultural exchanges and exhibitions.

They also pledged to coordinate closely in multilateral forums, including the United Nations (UN), ASEAN–EU, and ASEM, while strengthening dialogue on regional and global issues of shared concern.

Both nations reaffirmed their support for security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Vietnam Sea and called for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Reflecting on 75 years of friendship, General Secretary Lam expressed confidence that the Vietnam–Bulgaria strategic partnership will elevate cooperation to new heights and further strengthen the enduring bond between the two nations.