Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov have agreed to elevate the relations between their two countries to a strategic partnership.

The agreement was made during their talks in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, on June 5, one day after the Vietnamese leader arrived in the European country for an official visit, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The host and guest consented to boost trade exchange and facilitate cooperation between businesses of both countries in various fields, including transport infrastructure, irrigation, garment materials, electricity and renewable energy, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, information and biotechnology, and post-harvest processing.

They also placed emphasis on strengthening ties in education and training; security and defense; science and technology; and culture, tourism and transport.

Both sides pledged to give support to each other at the United Nations, the ASEAN-European Union Meeting, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and other international forums. PM Borissov told his guest that Bulgaria supports the promotion of relationships between Vietnam and the EU and will push for the bloc’s early ratification of the Vietnam-EU Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation, as well as the signing of a Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement. Regarding regional and global issues of mutual interest, the two leaders shared concern over the recent complicated developments in the East Vietnam Sea, including large-scale land reclamation projects.

Both of them stressed the need to settle disputes by peaceful means based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea with a view to the early formulation of a Code of Conduct for the sea. After their talks, the two premiers witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on crime control between the two governments and a cooperation scheme for the 2016-17 period between the two justice ministries.

They also oversaw the signing of memoranda of understanding on establishing friendly and cooperative ties between Ho Chi Minh City and Sofia City, and between the Vietnamese city of Can Tho and Rousse City.

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