Speaker of National Assembly of Bulgaria met Vietnamese who once lived in Bulgaria: Speaker of the National Assembly of Bulgaria Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov. (Photo: VNA)

There are around 30,000 Vietnamese people who studied and worked in Bulgaria in the 1950-1980 period, and about 1,000 at present.

In the process of promoting cooperation between the two countries, these people are important factors ensuring the success of bilateral collaboration, he stated, expressing his hope that this community will bring their affection, knowledge, and experience from studying and working in Bulgaria to further tighten the Bulgaria-Vietnam friendship and cooperation.

Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union (EU), and Vietnam, a dynamic member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have huge potential for cooperation in the fields of economics, culture and education. Bulgaria can be a gateway for Vietnam to approach the European market and vice versa, and the latter a bridge for the former to access the ASEAN market, stressed the speaker.

Speaker of National Assembly of Bulgaria met Vietnamese who once lived in Bulgaria: Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov presents the Bulgarian NA’s certificates of merit to six Vietnamese individuals (Photo: VNA)

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association Nguyen Truong Son said Vietnamese people who used to study and work in Bulgaria always bear in mind the support of the host country’s Government and people.

On this occasion, Speaker Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov awarded the Bulgarian NA’s certificates of merit to six Vietnamese individuals with outstanding achievements in the people-to-people diplomacy and important contributions to the two countries’ friendship and solidarity.