On October 22, Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation arrived at Sofia International Airport, following a successful visit to Finland. Their official visit to Bulgaria, from October 22 to 24, is held at the invitation of Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

The official delegation includes Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission; General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Minister of National Defense; General Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member, Minister of Public Security; Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs; Pham Gia Tuc, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chief of the Party Central Office; Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Member of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Committee for Policy and Strategy; Nguyen Manh Hung, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Science and Technology; Nguyen Hong Dien, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Industry and Trade; Tran Duc Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment; Vo Van Dung, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs; Bui Thi Quynh Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Organization; To An Xo, Assistant to the Party General Secretary and Head of the Office of the Party General Secretary; and Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Bulgaria.

Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation at the airport were Atanas Zafirov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and Deputy Prime Minister; Roussi Ivanov, Foreign Secretary to the President; and Mircho Ivanov, Chief of Protocol of the Presidential Office.

On the Vietnamese side were Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, officials from the Embassy of Vietnam in Bulgaria, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the country. The Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister once again extended his greetings and presented flowers to the Party General Secretary and his spouse. The couple then exchanged handshakes with Bulgarian and Vietnamese officials, while members of the Vietnamese community joyfully waved the national flags of both countries and presented flowers in a warm welcome.

As one of the earliest nations to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1950, Bulgaria has shared a long-standing friendship with Vietnam, a relationship nurtured by generations of leaders and peoples from both sides.

This visit comes at a highly meaningful moment, as Vietnam and Bulgaria celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. It also marks the first visit by a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since Bulgaria’s institutional transformation in 1990.

The official visit by Party General Secretary To Lam to Bulgaria carries a message of sincerity and deep appreciation from the Party, State, and people of Vietnam toward a traditional friend and partner that has provided valuable support during the country’s struggle for national independence as well as its ongoing efforts in nation-building and development.

The visit also opens up new prospects for Vietnam to expand cooperation with Bulgaria in particular and with the Balkan region more broadly.