The multifaceted changes in Vietnam thirty years after the beginning of the country’s renewal were in the focus of the press-conference and the informal meeting, organized by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Bulgaria, H.E. Mr. Pham Quoc Bao, with representatives of the Bulgarian media. The events were hosted by the building of the Embassy and were occasioned by the forthcoming National Day of the country – the 60th anniversary of Vietnam’s independence.

Ambassador Pham Quoc Bao pointed out as Vietnam’s greatest success the ongoing comparatively high pace of economic growth spreading over a large period of time, in terms of which the country ranks second in Asia. The ascending line in the development of the economic structure also continues. The relative share of the production and the service sphere in the gross domestic product is increasing while that of agriculture is decreasing. The investment climate is becoming more and more liberal for the foreign investors.

Vietnam’s export is growing every year – in 2004 it reaches a USD 26 B level and marked a growth of 30% as compared with 2003. Vietnam is among the first countries in terms of export of rice, coffee, black pepper in the world. The state-owned economic sector has been reorganized, and the number of state-owned enterprises has decreased from 12 000 to 7400. The government puts a special emphasis on the reforms in the finance and the banking sector. For the first time, a stock exchange, a finance, a labour market, and a property market have been established and these are developing successfully.

Along with the focus on economic development, the government also attaches a special significance to social issues. It allocates over one-third of the public investment capital to human resource development, education and training, science and technology, healthcare and culture. The civil rights, defined by the Constitution, including freedom of religion and the right of religious life, are observed.

In terms of foreign policy, Vietnam adheres to the principle of friendly and loyal partnership with all countries. It maintains diplomatic relations with 168 countries in the world and has trade contacts with 165 countries and territories. The country is an active member of many international and regional organizations and forums – UN, ASEAN, APEC, ASEM, etc.

The year 2005 marks a decade since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the United States. The two countries, as Ambassador Pham Quoc Bao pointed out, have established their official diplomatic relations on the basis of mutual recognition, equality and mutual co-operation, which proved beneficial for the peoples of the two countries. The existing differences in understanding democracy have their explanation in the differences in the two countries’ history, culture, political system, level of development but the two are investing efforts in resolving all issues by means of dialogue and negotiation.

At the friendly meeting-discussion, Ambassador Pham Quoc Bao stressed the traditionally friendly relations between the peoples of Vietnam and Bulgaria as a result of which the significant number of the Vietnamese citizens, who had received their education and training in our country, are now occupying high-rank and responsible positions in Vietnam and provide a solid ground for the development of multifaceted relations between our two countries. In conclusion, Ambassador Pham Quoc Bao wished to his Bulgarian guests to visit Vietnam and witness with their own eyes the beauty and the achievement of this country. “Hundreds of times heard is not better than once seen,” an old Vietnamese proverb says.

Stoyan Raichevsky