PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has expressed his belief thatthat the ongoing visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly RosenDimitrov Jeliazkov will be a success, opening up a new chapter in the long-standingrelations between the two countries.
Meeting with the Speaker in Hanoi on January 8, PM Chinh said Vietnam always treasures its fine, loyal, enduringfriendship and multifaceted cooperation with Bulgaria and remembers the Europeancountry's valuable support during its struggle for national independence andreunification, as well as in the current process of national construction and development.
Vietnam considers Bulgaria one of its key partners in Centraland Eastern Europe, he said.
Jeliazkov, for his part, asserted that Bulgaria considersVietnam one of its important partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Bulgaria wants to enhancemultifaceted cooperation with Vietnam to fully optimise their vast potential, he said.
Speaking highly of the positive development in bilateral cooperationacross all fields, the host and guest concurred on the need to continue facilitatingvisits and meetings at all levels and via all channels, and effectivelycarrying out bilateral cooperation mechanisms and agreements.
Despite global economic downturn last year, two-way trade stillsurpassed 200 million USD but failed to match potential. Therefore, they shareda commitment to boost coordination, with the hope of attracting moreVietnamese and Bulgarian firms and investors to invest in each other's country.
Recognising complementary factors in the two economies, PM Chinhproposed making economic cooperation a pillar of the bilateral ties with the goalof achieving 500 million USD in annual two-way trade soon.
Jeliazkov expressed his desire to strengthen ties in trade andinvestment, focusing on areas of the two nations' strengths such as high-tech agriculture,pharmaceuticals, information technology, tourism, culture, high-techindustries, and aviation.
On this occasion, the PM proposed Bulgaria push forward theEuropean Commission (EC)’s removal of yellow card warning against Vietnamese seafood products. He thanked the Bulgarian NA for its ratification of the EU-VietnamInvestment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and suggested Bulgaria encourage otherEU member states to approve so that it could be enforced soon.
He thanked Bulgaria for its assistance in training tens ofthousands of Vietnamese officials, students and graduates, including manyhigh-ranking Vietnamese leaders. He proposed both sides explore newpotential for educational cooperation to attract their students and graduates toeach other's educational establishments, particularly in the fields of theirstrengths.
Considering labour cooperation a traditional and highly promisingarea, the PM suggested the two governments promptly sign an agreementto make it easier for enterprises to carry out labour cooperation projects in Bulgaria,particularly in health care, construction, apparel and agriculture.
The guest said Bulgarian enterprises welcome skilledVietnamese workers coming to work in the European country.
The PM thanked and suggested the Bulgarian Government and NAcontinue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live, workand study in the host country, thereby helping to uphold their role as abridge between the two nations.
On global and regional issues of shared concern, he proposed Bulgaria support ASEAN and Vietnam's stances on the East Sea issue,which includes ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, andpeacefully settling disputes in accordance with international law, especiallythe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Vietnam is ready to work as a gateway and a bridge for Bulgaria todeepen its cooperation with ASEAN, he affirmed./.
