Vietnam and Bulgaria enhance local cooperation in the ancient capital Veliko Tarnovo
WVR - On March 22-23, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet attended the Veliko Tarnovo city festival and held a meeting with Mayor Daniel Panov to promote cooperation between this locality and provinces and cities in Vietnam.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet and Mayor Daniel Panov. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
Veliko Tarnovo, located in northern Bulgaria, was once the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (12th-14th centuries), renowned for its medieval architecture and the Tsarevets Fortress. The city is considered one of the important cultural and historical centers, symbolizing Bulgaria's independence and national revival.
This is where Bulgaria's first constitution was drafted and adopted in 1879, shortly after the country was liberated from the Ottoman Empire.
Veliko Tarnovo is also an attractive tourist destination with numerous festivals and unique cultural events throughout the year. In 2025, the city welcomed nearly 400,000 tourists in total.
The opening ceremony of the event was attended by many Bulgarian leaders, including National Assembly President Natalya Kiselova, Vice President Kostadin Angelov, former President Rumen Radev, along with many senior officials and local representatives.
The highlight of the festival was a parade commemorating the historic event of March 22, 1185 – when brothers Asen and Petar launched an uprising against Byzantine rule, reclaiming Bulgaria's independence.
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| Sound and light show at Tsarevets Fortress. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
On the evening of March 22, a large-scale sound, light, and fireworks show at Tsarevets Fortress recreated Bulgaria's heroic struggle history, attracting a large number of locals and tourists.
During the meeting with Mayor Daniel Panov, Ambassador Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet expressed gratitude for the warm reception and congratulated the city on successfully organizing the Veliko Tarnovo Festival on March 22 – an event that vividly showcases the deep historical and unique cultural identity of the locality.
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| Bulgarian leaders participating in the parade. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
The Ambassador emphasized that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria have been continuously strengthened, especially after the two countries elevated their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during General Secretary To Lam's official visit to Bulgaria in October 2025.
Local cooperation is identified as a crucial pillar. The Ambassador affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy is ready to act as a bridge to promote cooperation between Veliko Tarnovo and a locality in Vietnam in the near future.
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| Opening ceremony of the Veliko Tarnovo city festival. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
Mayor Daniel Panov highly appreciated the participation of the Vietnamese Embassy delegation in the city's important event. He noted that this year's festival featured artistic groups from five sister cities with Veliko Tarnovo (Serbia, North Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Hungary), enhancing its appeal to locals and tourists.
The Mayor expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as culture and tourism, education and training, trade, and labor. He also affirmed that he would facilitate connections between partners from both sides.
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| Performance by Bulgarian children at the opening ceremony. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
He also mentioned plans to invite the Vietnamese delegation to participate in major city events in 2026, such as the International Folk Art Festival (June-July) and the International Cultural Tourism Fair (October). Additionally, he proposed that both sides collaborate to organize seminars on tourism, connect travel businesses, and promote Vietnamese culture in Veliko Tarnovo.
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| Tsarevets Fortress. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria) |
The meeting took place in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, opening up new avenues for cooperation between localities of the two countries, further deepening the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and Bulgaria.
(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Bulgaria)
