How do you assess the normalization of your relations with the USA?
In the Vietnam–USA relations we stick to the line of leaving aside the past and looking into the future. The two countries normalized their relations on July 10, 1995. In 2000 President Clinton paid an official visit to Vietnam. During his visit to the USA in June 2005, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Mr. Phan Van Khai had talks with President Bush. They made a joint Vietnamese-American declaration, wherein they confirmed the mutual respect, the encouragement of trade and economic relations, and shared their concern for the peace, prosperity and security in South-East Asia and the Asian-Pacific region. The visit placed the relations between Vietnam and the USA at a new high level on the road of building constructive, friendly and lasting partner relations, of many-sided cooperation based on parity, mutual respect, and in the interest of the peoples of the two countries.

During the last decade the relations between the two states marked steps of rapid development, most strongly in the trade-economic relations. The trade exchange grew from 1.5 billion dollars in 2001 to 6.5 billion dollars in 2004, which is a 20-fold growth compared to 1995. Vietnam’s exports to the USA are to the value of 5.2 billion dollars, and the imports from the USA – 5.272 billion dollars. The USA has made direct investments in Vietnam under 276 projects of total registered capital 1.861 billion dollars, whereby the USA comes 9th among the countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Apart from trade and economy, the relations between the two countries are boosting in many other spheres, including politics, diplomacy, science and technology, medicine, education. We cooperate in combating terror, for the solution of global problems and humanitarian aftermath of the war.

What are the relations between Vietnam and Bulgaria and the prospects for expanding the cooperation between the two countries on the basis of the traditional ties in the field of economy, culture, science and education?
Vietnam and Bulgaria have had traditionally good relations for long years. More than 55 years ago, on February 8, 1950, Bulgaria was one of the first 10 countries in the world, which officially recognized Vietnam and established diplomatic relations with it. This event had a great international importance for the young people’s democracy in South-East Asia and set the beginning of the over half a century traditional friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries. When you drink water, remember the spring. The Vietnamese people has always been and will be grateful to the Bulgarian people for the valuable material and moral support rendered during the struggle and in the construction and development of the state.

In the past 55 years the ties between the two countries constantly strengthened and expanded. Many high-level delegations exchanged visits, many agreements were signed, laying the legal foundations for the development of the bilateral relations. The two countries have potential for highly efficient cooperation in many fields:

Trade and economy: increase of trade; cooperation in food processing, ready-to-wear clothes, machine building, pharmacy, construction, chemical industry, machining, energy.

Agriculture: cooperation in the biotechnological research of sorts of high-quality tomatoes and multiflorous roses, suitable for the conditions in Vietnam, with view to export. Exchange of experience in fruit-growing and processing, production of milk and dairy products.

High technologies: manufacturing of elevators, transfer of software technologies in shipbuilding, nuclear electric power.

Biotechnologies: microbiological technologies, gene technologies, animal and plant cells and enzyme-protein technologies.

Culture, science, education: exchange of students, post-graduates, trainees. Exchange of experience and cooperation between higher schools and research institutes. Cooperation between Radio “The Voice of Vietnam” and the Bulgarian National Radio.

Tourism: speeding up the signing of an Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism.

I read two articles written by you on the nature and traditional culture of Bulgaria. Do you intend to keep up this interest?
Bulgaria is a country of historic traditions and centuries-old culture. With its millennial history it is rich in monuments and famous for its antiques. This is a great pride, especially the 9 geographic sites of world natural and cultural monuments recognized by UNESCO, among which the Rila Monastery, the Boyana Church, the Madara Horseman hewn into the rock, and the National Park in the magnificent Pirin.

The bizarre creations of nature in the mysterious caves, the romantic stone peaks, the limpid water in the mountain lakes, the cool shadow thrown by venerable trees, the golden silk sand strip of the Black Sea coast bathed in sunshine, and the Rose Valley are ideal tourist sites.

I am very happy that I had the opportunity to enjoy the wondrous landscapes and the original cultural events during traditional holidays and the folk songs, unique in melody and rhythm, known worldwide. I will do my best to visit places, I will continue writing and taking pictures to present the beautiful and tranquil country of the roses, spiritually rich and hospitable.

I avail myself of the opportunity to wish Bulgaria to continue its development and prosperity, and to wish happiness to the Bulgarian people. Let the friendly relations and traditionally good cooperation between the peoples of Vietnam and Bulgaria keep on going strong and develop successfully.

Stoyan Raichevsky