Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Bulgarian Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue on September 18suggested the Government agencies of Vietnam and Bulgaria support the twocountries’ enterprises in fostering their investment and trade cooperation inthe time ahead.
In a reception for visiting Bulgarian Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov inHanoi, Deputy PM Hue said he hopes Bulgaria will increase investment in Vietnamin fields that overlap between the former’s strengths and the latter’s needs,such as healthcare, high-tech agriculture, IT, renewable energy, and urbanmanagement.
Hehighlighted the traditional friendship between the two nations, affirming that theirpolitical and diplomatic ties have been promoted fruitfully through visits madeby their high-ranking leaders.
The two sides have continued to maintain consultations on issues of theircommon concern and closely cooperated at regional and global forums, especiallythe UN, the ASEAN-EU cooperation mechanisms, and the Asia-Europe Meeting(ASEM), he added.
According to the Vietnameseofficial, economic and trade cooperation has recorded positive development, howeverit remains limited and is yet to live up to its full potential.
Two-way trade only reaches around 100 million USD per year. Bulgaria’sinvestment in Vietnam is also modest, reaching only 30 million USD.
The Deputy PM also called on the Bulgarian side to create favourableconditions for Vietnam’s agricultural products to access the European country,and asked Bulgaria to back and promote the official signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
He stressed the need to soon convene the 24th meeting of the Vietnam-BulgariaIntergovernmental Committee on economic and science-technology cooperation,thus discussing how to expand economic and trade links between the two nationsin the coming time.
For his part, Emil Karanikolov affirmed that the Bulgarian Government attachesgreat importance to Vietnam and congratulates the nation on its socio-economicachievements during its “Doi moi” (renewal) process.
Bulgaria will actively push the EU to soon sign the EVFTA and be one of thefirst countries to approve the agreement at the parliament, he said.
“With cooperation mechanisms between the two sides, especially Bulgarian incentivesfor Vietnamese commodities, we hope to become a gateway for Vietnamese productsto enter European markets,” he added.
He also informed the host about his working sessions with the Vietnamese Ministerof Industry and Trade, representatives from the Hanoi People’s Committee, andthe Vietnam Oil and Gas Group. –VNA
VNA
