The Defence Ministries of Vietnam and Bulgaria were urged to soon finalise a draft memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation for an early signing as the document will provide a legal foundation for the two sides to boost cooperation in the field.

This was said at a meeting between Minister of National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh and visiting Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov in Hanoi on October 18, according to Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper.

General Thanh said that defence cooperation between the two countries is yet to match their potential and aspirations though progressing in the recent time.

Regarding the cooperation in training for military staff, he asked the Bulgarian side to continue assisting and cooperating with Vietnam in this field on the basis of the agreements signed between the two Defence Ministries after praising the good quality of those officers who were trained in the European country.

For his part, the Bulgarian Deputy PM expressed his wish that defence cooperation between the two nations will continue to be strengthened and deepened in the future.

He said Bulgaria is willing to share with Vietnam the experiences it gained when working for the UN’s peace-keeping forces.

On the same day, Minister Thanh successively received newly-accredited Singaporean Ambassador Ng Teck Hean and Mongolian Ambassador Dori Enkhbat.-VNA