Bulgaria is ready to accept more Vietnamese students and post-graduate students. Our higher education is well known in your country for its quality, many Vietnamese citizens have received Bulgarian diplomas and now hold important positions in public administration and business. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva in front of her Vietnamese counterpart, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Pham Bin Min, the Foreign Ministry press centre said.

In the coming months, Bulgaria expects to finalize the Agreement for cooperation in the field of education for the period 2019-2022, which increases the number of scholarships for Vietnamese students in Bulgaria and allows for short-term specializations.

"I congratulate Vietnam on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, as well as on assuming the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). You can count on our support," Zaharieva said. It also welcomes the free trade and investment protection agreements concluded between the EU and Vietnam this year.

"I still remember my visit to your country. You were the chairman of the EU Council. Last time I asked for your help in concluding agreements with the EU, for which I thank you," said Minister Pham Bin Min.

The meeting between the two deputy prime ministers takes place on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam in 2020. Asia is one of the fastest-