Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam always attaches importance to the consolidation and enhancement of relations with traditional friends, with Bulgaria regarded as a priority partner, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet.
At a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov, Nguyet stated that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria are developing well, marked by high political trust and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly within the framework of the United Nations.
The Ambassador proposed several specific directions for defence cooperation, including the establishment of a strategic or policy dialogue mechanism, and the enhancement of academic exchanges and annual experience sharing between military training institutions of both countries.
Zapryanov affirmed that Bulgaria considers Vietnam an important partner and a bridge for Bulgaria to enhance its engagement with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He highly appreciated President Rumen Radev’s visit to Vietnam in November 2024, calling it a significant milestone and a strong impetus for deepening the bilateral relations.
Regarding defence cooperation, Zapryanov stressed that the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence has maintained close collaboration with its Vietnamese counterpart. He praised the annual exchange of military delegations between the two countries as an effective channel for fostering mutual understanding and trust. He also expressed his desire to increase the exchange delegations with Vietnam to three per year starting in 2026.
The minister acknowledged and commended the role of Vietnam’s Defence Attaché Office in fostering cooperation between the two defence ministries. He noted that Bulgaria is exploring the possibility of sending a resident Defence Attaché in Vietnam.
Both sides agreed that Vietnam and Bulgaria hold significant potential for cooperation in various areas, including high-level and expert delegation exchanges, military training, and defence industry collaboration.
Zapryanov directed the Bulgarian Defence Policy and Planning Directorate to continue close coordination with Vietnam’s representative agencies in Bulgaria and relevant units of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to effectively implement the discussed initiatives./.
