Vietnam and Bulgaria should increase dialogue to further develop their 60 years of cooperation, Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov said at a meeting with visiting Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung on July 7.

President Purvanov welcomed the Vietnamese deputy PM’s visit to Bulgaria , expressing his hope that the visit would mark a new development level in bilateral ties.

He also expressed his admiration for Vietnam in its efforts to overcome difficulties cause by the world financial crisis and economic recession to continue its rapid development.

Purvanov said he hoped the two sides would work out concrete measures to speed up their economic links.

Thanking Purvanov for his welcome, Hung said Vietnam treasured Bulgaria’s sentiments and assistance during its national liberation and reconstruction.

Hung suggested the two countries expand cooperation in education as well as exchanges between their business circles.

On the same day, the Vietnamese deputy PM held talks with Bulgarian deputy PM cum Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov.

The two deputy PMs signed an agreement between the two governments on the implementation of a number of articles in the minute of the 21st session of the Vietnam-Bulgaria joint governmental committee on economic, trade and science-technology cooperation.

They witnessed the signing of an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders between the two governments and a cooperation agreement between the two countries’ friendship organisations.

Deputy PM Hung and his entourage then laid a wreath at the Memorial Unknown Soldiers in Sofia .

By the end of 2009, Vietnam and Bulgaria had signed 19 cooperative agreements and documents, laying a new foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

Bulgaria has invested in eight FDI projects worth a total 31.42 million USD in Vietnam, ranking 54th out of the 91 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnam exports coal, garments, coffee and frozen products to Bulgaria and imports chemical substances, drugs, animal feed, wheat, machineries and shipbuilding equipment from the European country./.