site.btaBulgaria, Vietnam Sign Protocol of 24th Session of Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation

The 24th session of the Bulgaria-Vietnam Intergovernmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation ended in Sofia on Tuesday with the signing of a protocol by Bulgarian Economy and Industry Minister Petko Nikolov and Vietnamese Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien. The first session in nearly 10 years discussed the potential for cooperation in areas of shared interest, the Economy and Industry Ministry said.

Nikolov said: "Based on the traditional friendly relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam, the two countries should be much more active and should deepen their trade and investment relations."

The two ministers concurred that there is a huge untapped potential for developing economic relations and boosting partnership between Bulgarian and Vietnamese companies.

"To us, Vietnam is one of the most important trade and economic partners in Southeast Asia. This partnership has solid foundations - the human, scientific and socio-economic potential of Bulgaria and Vietnam, which, I am confident, will contribute to a further expansion of bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and to maintaining the traditional partnership in strategic areas such as education and training, defence and security, culture and tourism," the Bulgarian Economy and Industry Minister said.

For his part, Vietnam's Industry and Trade Minister stressed that the session of the Intergovernmental Commission would give further impetus to bilateral economic relations. There are many opportunities for Vietnamese investments in various sectors in Bulgaria, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Economy and Industry Minister Nikolay Pavlov and Nguyen Hong Dien opened a seminar on trade and investment promotion. The forum organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) was attended by more than 30 Bulgarian companies and representatives of Vietnamese institutions and businesses.