In his opening remarks, Associate Professor Hoang Thai Lan, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam-Bulgaria Friendship Association, said businesses had worked to maintain production and operations, create jobs and strengthen Vietnamese brands amid economic volatility. He noted that closer ties with Eastern European partners could open up new development opportunities in a changing global landscape.
Mr. Ho Xuan Lam, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, praised entrepreneurs for their contributions to economic growth, State budget revenues, job creation, and social welfare initiatives. He called on businesses to build on their spirit of solidarity, accelerate digital transformation, pursue sustainable development, and strengthen their competitiveness in international markets.
At the meeting, Mr. Alexander D. Sidoruk, Belarus' Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, outlined economic potential and cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and Belarus, as well as within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
The free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EAEU, which took effect in 2016, has facilitated market access and expanded import-export opportunities for businesses on both sides.
Vietnam exports products including rubber, fish fillets, tires, coffee, and vacuum cleaners to Belarus. In return, Belarus supplies potassium fertilizers, dairy products, meat by-products, and pharmaceuticals to the Vietnamese market.
The two countries also have opportunities to expand tourism cooperation, supported by visa exemption policies and flight connections linking Minsk with Nha Trang and Phu Quoc.
Meanwhile, Mr. Oleg Marinov, Bulgaria's Economic and Commercial Counselor in Ho Chi Minh City, presented changes to the country's investment promotion policies.
Bulgaria has identified eight priority sectors for investment: healthcare and medical tourism; food and agriculture; transport and logistics; machinery and transport equipment; the chemical industry; information technology; electronics; and electrical engineering.
These sectors offer a potential foundation for Vietnamese and Bulgarian businesses to identify areas of mutual interest and develop partnerships.
During the meeting, Vietnamese business representatives presented their companies' capabilities and potential, while exchanging views with representatives of the Belarusian and Bulgarian consular offices in Ho Chi Minh City on ways to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation in the coming years.
