People-to-people Diplomacy Helps Strengthen and Sustain Vietnam-Bulgaria Relations

	Further Deepening Traditional Friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria in New Era
	Promoting Vietnam’s Image at the Bulgarian Rose Festival

According to Huynh Quyet Thang, the Day of Bulgarian Culture, Education and the Slavonic Script is not only an occasion to honor Bulgaria’s script, knowledge, education and national identity, but also reflects the cultural depth of a nation that has always valued knowledge and education. In his view, for Bulgaria, the script is not merely a means of recording language, but also a repository of national memory, a foundation of education, a symbol of cultural identity, and a bridge linking the past, present and future.

Huynh Quyet Thang, President of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association. (Photo: Dinh Hoa).

Vietnam-Bulgaria relations face new opportunities for development

The President of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association stressed that although the two countries are geographically distant, they have always remained close through sincere affection, mutual support and a tradition of friendship nurtured over generations. The Vietnamese people always remember the valuable support and assistance extended by the Bulgarian people to Vietnam during the years of struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in the country’s subsequent process of national construction and development.

One of the most vivid symbols of Vietnam-Bulgaria friendship is the generations of Vietnamese people who studied, worked, conducted research and grew professionally in Bulgaria. According to Huynh Quyet Thang, many Vietnamese officials, engineers, scientists, managers, experts and entrepreneurs trained in Bulgaria brought home not only professional knowledge, but also deep affection for the country, its people, language and culture. Many of them have become enduring bridges linking the friendship between the two nations.

Referring to the new stage of bilateral relations, Huynh Quyet Thang stated that the upgrading of Vietnam-Bulgaria relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2025 marks a milestone of great significance, creating new requirements for all channels of cooperation, including people-to-people diplomacy. According to him, friendship organizations should not merely maintain exchanges, meetings and the commemoration of traditions, but should become more proactive, creative and practical in connecting the people, knowledge communities, businesses, localities and younger generations of the two countries.

The President of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association noted that cooperation between the two countries in the new period should transform the beautiful memories of the past into momentum for future development; shift from traditional friendship to development cooperation; and move beyond emotional exchanges toward new programs, projects and cooperative values. According to him, Vietnam is a dynamic country in Southeast Asia, while Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union, holds an important position in the Balkans and Southeast Europe. These complementary advantages provide ample room for the two sides to promote deeper and broader cooperation in the coming period.

President Ho Chi Minh holds talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Anton Yugov during his visit to Bulgaria (Sofia, 1957). (Photo: VNA).

People-to-people diplomacy - important pillar of bilateral relations

According to Huynh Quyet Thang, people-to-people diplomacy should become an important pillar contributing to making Vietnam-Bulgaria relations not only strong at the state level, but also deeply rooted and enduring among the peoples of the two countries. Strong political relations provide the foundation; economic, scientific and educational cooperation serves as the driving force; while people-to-people affection constitutes the depth and long-term vitality of bilateral ties.

From this perspective, the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association has defined its responsibility in the new period as not only preserving the memories of friendship, but also transforming those memories into resources for development; not only expressing gratitude for the past, but also creating new values for future cooperation; and not only serving as a gathering place for those who cherish Bulgaria, but also acting as a proactive and effective bridge capable of mobilizing resources for bilateral relations.

In the coming period, the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association will focus on further deepening the foundation of people-to-people friendship; continuing to organize cultural exchange activities, commemorate important milestones, and introduce Bulgaria’s history, culture, language, country and people in Vietnam, while also promoting the image of Vietnam to Bulgarian friends.

Toward substantive and sustainable cooperative values

The Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association will also further promote the network of former Vietnamese students, experts and workers in Bulgaria. According to Huynh Quyet Thang, this is an especially valuable force that not only has deep affection for Bulgaria, but also possesses knowledge, experience, social standing and networking capabilities, enabling it to become a genuine resource for bilateral relations.

At the same time, the Association aims to promote cooperation in education and training, science and technology, and innovation; serve as a bridge connecting universities, research institutes, scientists and students of the two countries; and encourage student, lecturer and postgraduate exchange programs, scientific seminars, scholarships and joint research projects.

In the socio-economic sphere, the Association will strengthen connections among businesses, localities and social organizations of the two countries, particularly in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, medicinal herbs, natural cosmetics, green technology and education. According to Huynh Quyet Thang, when friendship activities are linked to the practical interests of people and businesses, friendship will gain additional material foundations and renewed vitality.

Notably, the President of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association emphasized the importance of making the younger generation a new driving force of Vietnam-Bulgaria friendship. The Association will create more opportunities and spaces for young people and students of the two countries to engage in exchanges, learning and cooperation in study, research, entrepreneurship, technology, culture and the arts.

Huynh Quyet Thang affirmed that the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association will continue to foster friendship between the peoples of the two countries, promote its role as a bridge between the two peoples, and connect generations of former students, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs and friends of both countries, thereby contributing to the increasingly substantive, profound and sustainable development of Vietnam-Bulgaria relations within the framework of the Strategic Partnership.

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