Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnam-Bulgaria business dialogue, co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy and Burgas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has drawn the participation of representatives from the Burgas Municipality, local sectoral associations, and nearly 50 companies.
In her opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet stressed that the two countries possess complementary strengths. Bulgaria can serve as a gateway for Vietnamese businesses to access Southeast Europe and the EU, while Vietnam is a key transit point for Bulgarian enterprises to expand into the dynamic ASEAN region.
Burgas Vice Mayor Stanimir Apostolov praised Vietnam’s economic achievements and called on Vietnamese companies to invest in the city’s priority areas such as innovation, smart-city development, and industrial infrastructure. He affirmed that the municipal authorities would create the most favourable conditions for them.
Todor Demirkov, Chairman of the Burgas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted increasing interest among Bulgarian businesses, especially in Burgas, toward Vietnam’s dynamic and fast-growing market.
He said the chamber would expand its activities to better connect with Vietnamese firms and their associations and provide them with updated information on the local market, partners, and business opportunities.
Ivelina Strateva, Director of the Burgas Economy and Business Activities Directorate, highlighted several complementary areas of cooperation, including agricultural product and seafood trade, food processing, digital technologies, logistics, clean energy, services, and tourism. Burgas is ready to act as a major gateway for Vietnamese companies to enter Southeast Europe, she affirmed.
During the discussion session, officials and businesses identified key pillars for the new phase of the Vietnam–Bulgaria strategic partnership. Priority sectors include logistics, renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and digital economy. Both sides also stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in science-technology, innovation, and digital transformation, particularly by building innovation ecosystems, promoting joint research, and facilitating technology transfer from Bulgaria to Vietnam.
Earlier, in a meeting with Burgas Vice Mayor Besna Baltina, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet proposed intensifying cooperation in the fields of trade-investment, culture-education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. She suggested holding regular investment-trade promotion events in Burgas, compiling a list of the city's investment-priority projects for the embassy to help match with Vietnamese partners, and organising a delegation from Burgas to visit Vietnam next year.
The diplomat affirmed that the embassy stands ready to serve as a bridge to strengthen Burgas’s ties with Vietnam's coastal provinces that share similar development potentials.
Baltina said the city prioritises attracting and retaining young talents while expanding foreign investment, viewing Vietnam as a promising partner.
She also highlighted Burgas’s plan to develop multi-disciplinary educational institutions offering English-language programmes in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, engineering, economics, and IT, aiming to attract international students, including those from Vietnam.
The authorities always support cooperation between Burgas-based universities and Vietnamese institutions, the official stated.
Baltina added that Burgas is actively campaigning to become a European Capital of Culture for 2032. The city is ready to promote Vietnamese culture and cuisine and support charter flights connecting the two sides. She recommended the embassy to assist in introducing Burgas to major Vietnamese travel companies to increase tourism exchange./.
