Bulgarian Ambassador Visits Duong Lam Ancient Village
	Culture and Education Is Foundation of Vietnam - Bulgaria Friendship

The event was attended by Nguyen Sinh Hung, former Politburo member and former Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO); and Huynh Quyet Thang, President of the Vietnam–Bulgaria Friendship Association, along with representatives from the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

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

On the Bulgarian side, participants included Pavlin Todorov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Vietnam, together with Bulgarian delegates and members of the Vietnam–Bulgaria Friendship Association.

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, delegates looked back on 75 years of close ties, mutual sharing and support between the two countries, while expressing their pride in the fine traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Bulgaria.

Speaking at the gathering, Huynh Quyet Thang, President of the Vietnam–Bulgaria Friendship Association, said that over the past 75 years, Bulgaria has stood side by side with Viet Nam, from the difficult years of war to the cause of national construction and development. Many Vietnamese students, scholars, technical officers and trainees have studied, conducted research, worked and grown in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian cities and localities, from Plovdiv, Sofia, Stara Zagora and Haskovo to Ruse, Pleven, Dobrich and Veliko Tarnovo, from Pernik, Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad to Varna, Burgas and Sliven, have become places of study and work for generations of Vietnamese students, trainees and workers. They have served as living bridges linking the friendship between the two countries, bringing back knowledge, experience and a spirit of international solidarity to serve their homeland.

“We would like to pay our profound tribute to these people today, you are living proof of the enduring friendship and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria.”

Pavlin Todorov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Viet Nam. (Photo: Dinh Hoa).

Sharing views on bilateral cooperation, the President of the Vietnam–Bulgaria Friendship Association affirmed that education has always been the foundation of long-term cooperation. Generations of Vietnamese students and trainees have been trained in Bulgaria, not only improving their knowledge, professional skills and working capacity, but also learning cultural values and a spirit of discipline, creativity and respect for the community. Educational cooperation between the two countries continues to serve as an important bridge, opening up new opportunities for today’s younger generations and helping them become future engineers, researchers, technologists and entrepreneurs of the country.

Pavlin Todorov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Vietnam, stressed that Bulgaria was among the first countries in the world to recognise Vietnam’s independence. The establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations on February 8, 1950, marked an important historical milestone, laying the foundation for friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

A major highlight of the events of great significance to the two peoples was the State visit to Bulgaria by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam. The joint statement adopted during the visit upgraded bilateral relations from a traditional friendship to a strategic partnership. This demonstrates that the relationship between the two countries is not only a matter of history but also a living, close and meaningful reality today.

Vietnamese delegates attending the ceremony expressed their gratitude for the great contributions of Bulgaria, a friendly nation. (Photo: Dinh Hoa).

The Ambassador also shared his hope that the two sides would bring the cultural foundations of their nations closer together through the arts, further open the door to cooperation in science and education, economy and trade, national defence and security, and create more favourable conditions for citizens to visit each other’s countries.

In particular, Vietnamese delegates attending the ceremony expressed their deep gratitude for the great contributions of the Bulgarian delegates, faithful friends who have worked tirelessly to preserve and nurture the friendship between the peoples of Viet Nam and Bulgaria amid a rapidly changing world.

Representing former Vietnamese students in Bulgaria, Nguyen Ngoc Truc said that what gives depth to bilateral relations is the more than 30,000 Vietnamese students and workers who have studied, worked and matured in Bulgaria.

“The years I spent studying in Bulgaria have become unforgettable memories in my life. I still remember winter mornings in Sofia, blanketed in white with snow, while the hearts of the Bulgarian people were warm; I remember the disciplined classes, the devotion of my teachers, and especially the sincere affection they showed to Vietnamese students. Bulgaria was not only a place where I studied; it was where I grew up and found a part of my youth. My experience in Bulgaria has strengthened my belief that the friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria will endure forever. The bond between the two peoples is truly the most precious asset of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria.”

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