Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Secretary of the Tay Ninh provincial Party Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai and Standing Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee Mai Xuan Liem visited Bulgaria on October 20-22 to showcase their local potential and seek investment and trade deals.
On October 22 in Sofia, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) hosted a Bulgaria-Vietnam Business Forum, with leaders of both provinces and companies from the two countries taking part.
Tay Ninh outlined plans to attract investment in hi-tech industry, supporting industries, logistics, clean energy and hi-tech agriculture. It also sought cooperation in industrial production, infrastructure, innovation and workforce training.
Thanh Hoa pitched its industrial potential, infrastructure and labour pool, and proposed deeper collaboration in processing and manufacturing, electronics, machinery, apparel, logistics, vocational training and tourism.
The Bulgarian side shared information on the business climate, investment prospects, supply chain development, two-way trade and labour cooperation. It praised the quality of Vietnamese goods and the contribution of Vietnamese workers. The two sides discussed making use of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), tightening business links and sharing of market information.
The forum’s centerpiece was a business-to-business matchmaking session, where companies from both countries presented their capabilities, compared needs and sought partners in manufacturing, trade and investment, paving the way for follow-up surveys and deal-making.
Earlier on October 21, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet accompanied the two Vietnamese delegations in Plovdiv, where they met Deputy Mayor Plamen Panov, leaders of the Trakia Economic Zone (TEZ), and representatives of universities, associations and businesses.
Plovdiv officials introduced their experience in developing industrial parks, attracting investment and linking local authorities and companies with training establishments. The delegations discussed cooperation in industrial infrastructure, logistics, technology application and workforce training. Tay Ninh proposed a channel for sharing investment information while Thanh Hoa expressed interest in industrial cooperation, vocational training and tourism.
At TEZ, the delegations studied its industrial park management model, investor support mechanisms and ties with training facilities. TEZ signed two letters of intent, including one with Ha Thanh Corp and another with the Thanh Hoa Textile and Garment Association, witnessed by Ambassador Nguyet, provincial leaders and Plovdiv officials. The documents lay the groundwork for further study of cooperation.
Representatives of Plovdiv’s universities said they want to expand academic exchange, accept Vietnamese students and cooperate in training in engineering, food technology, agriculture and information technology.
On October 20, the delegations held a working session with the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria. Nguyet briefed them on conditions in the country, the Vietnam-Bulgaria strategic partnership established in October 2025 and cooperation opportunities. She stressed that local-level cooperation and business links are key to turning high-level agreements into action, and said the embassy stands ready to help the two provinces find partners. A representative of the embassy’s trade office outlined bilateral economic and trade ties, each country’s strengths and promising areas.
Atanas Zafirov, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, stressed the need to turn the strategic partnership into tangible results. He proposed boosting investment cooperation, joint ventures and technology transfer, along with twinning city ties and business links between the two countries./.
