The meeting was attended by Group Chairwoman Rositsa Kirova, the Group’s Vice Chairs and members, who are parliamentarians serving on various specialized committees of the Bulgarian National Assembly.

At the meeting, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet welcomed the establishment of the Bulgaria-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group in the 52nd National Assembly, with the participation of parliamentarians from various political forces. She said this was a vivid expression of friendship and broad support for relations with Viet Nam within the Bulgarian National Assembly.

Overview of the meeting (Photo: Embassy of Viet Nam in Bulgaria)

The Ambassador emphasized that the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the two countries during Party General Secretary To Lam’s official visit to Bulgaria in October 2025 opened a new phase in bilateral relations. After more than 70 years of building trust and friendship, she said it is now important to translate the new framework into concrete implementation and deliver practical benefits to the people and businesses of both countries.

The Ambassador proposed strengthening exchanges between the two parliaments, the two Parliamentary Friendship Groups and specialized committees, while promoting cooperation in areas with significant potential, including economy, trade, investment, science and technology, education and training, tourism, labor, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

In their discussion with the Ambassador, Group Chairwoman Rositsa Kirova and Bulgarian parliamentarians spoke highly of the traditional friendship between the two countries and Viet Nam’s development achievements. Several parliamentarians who had visited Viet Nam shared their impressions of the country’s rapid development, the dynamism of its economy, and its cultural and tourism diversity.

According to Rositsa Kirova, Viet Nam and Bulgaria share a special relationship, nurtured not only through ties between the two states but also by generations of people from both countries. At present, she said, the two sides need to add new substance to this longstanding friendship through areas of cooperation suited to each country’s development needs.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet poses for a commemorative photo with members of the Bulgaria-Viet Nam Parliamentary Friendship Group. (Photo: Embassy of Viet Nam in Bulgaria)

Bulgarian parliamentarians said strong political relations should be reflected more clearly in economic, trade and investment cooperation. There remains considerable room to expand ties between businesses and localities, with Group Chairwoman Rositsa Kirova proposing further promotion of sister-city and twinning relations between cities and localities of Viet Nam and Bulgaria.

Education and tourism also attracted the parliamentarians’ attention. Generations of Vietnamese people who studied and received training in Bulgaria have created a special foundation for relations between the two countries. The parliamentarians said this foundation should be built upon by strengthening exchanges among educational institutions, students and young people, while promoting destination marketing, tourist exchanges and people-to-people ties.

Members of the Group also expressed interest in labor cooperation amid Bulgaria’s demand for workers in certain sectors. They spoke highly of the diligence of Vietnamese workers and said the two countries could continue studying ways to promote cooperation in this field based on the needs and regulations of each side.

Bulgarian parliamentarians emphasized that Viet Nam-Bulgaria relations have a foundation of friendship built over many decades and enjoy broad consensus that transcends differences between political parties. They said this provides favorable conditions for the two countries to expand cooperation in the new period.

The two sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and enhance the bridging role of the two Parliamentary Friendship Groups and the Embassies in promoting areas of mutual interest. Parliamentary cooperation is therefore expected to help turn the longstanding foundation of friendship and political trust between Viet Nam and Bulgaria into concrete cooperation outcomes during the Strategic Partnership period.

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