Bulgarian President Rumen Radev was received on Monday with an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. Bulgaria will continue to support all efforts to deepen cooperation between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Radev said at a joint conference with his counterpart, President Luong Cuong, after the two met on Monday.

Cuong reported that the two agreed to open new areas of cooperation where Vietnam can benefit from Bulgaria's strengths, such as digital transformation, biotechnology, agriculture and healthcare. The President of Vietnam added that the conversation with Radev was a great success, which took place in an atmosphere of friendship, trust and mutual understanding.

Three documents signed on Monday were presented at the conference: a cooperation agreement in the field of education for the period 2025-2028 between the governments of the two countries; a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Vietnam Federation of Trade and Industry and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; a Memorandum of Cooperation between the City of Ruse and the People's Committee of Can Tho.

Radev emphasized that Vietnam is more than an important partner in Southeast Asia, as the two countries are connected by historical traditions of friendship, mutual respect and trust.

The Bulgarian head of state said: "My official visit, which comes on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, is an expression of our joint determination to give a new dynamic to our relations and to to raise them to the level of a strategic partnership".

Radev reported that he and Cuong stand by the conviction that trade and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Vietnam should be deepened and diversified to reach the level of regular dialogue at the highest political level. Cooperation will focus on areas of common interest such as investment, energy, information technology, science and education, defense, culture, sports, agriculture, ecology, among others.

Radev said: "Talking with the President of Vietnam, I emphasized the important contribution of Vietnamese citizens who studied and worked in Bulgaria years ago. Over 30.000 people, 5.000 of whom have pursued higher education in Bulgaria. This serious community is an important factor for the continued development of our relations and a natural bridge between our peoples, a bridge that we must continue to strengthen." He emphasized the important role of bilateral cooperation in the field of education and science in this regard.

Bulgaria is the first country in Southeast Europe to teach and promote Vietnamese language and culture, Radev said. "After a 40-year break, we are also restoring the training of Vietnamese military pilots in Bulgaria," he added./BTA-KosovaPress