On the afternoon of October 23 (local time), General Secretary To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation visited Vrana Palace on the outskirts of the capital Sofia, VNA reported.
Vrana Palace was built in the early 20th century, witnessing many important events of Bulgaria as well as in international relations.
The current owner of Vrana Palace is former Bulgarian King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who was Prime Minister of Bulgaria from July 2001 to August 2005.
With special affection for the leader of Vietnam and the country, the people of the S-shaped land, the former president was the one who came up with the idea of attaching a commemorative plaque to the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh at Vrana Palace, with the desire that this place become a symbol of the traditional friendship between the two peoples.
During the visit to Vrana Palace, General Secretary To Lam and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation, met with former Emperor Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; and respectfully presented the former Emperor with a commemorative coat of arms for President Ho Chi Minh to attach to the palace.
Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary To Lam expressed his emotion at visiting Vrana Palace, which is associated with the friendship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Bulgaria. 68 years ago, in August 5, 5, President Ho Chi Minh - the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people, stayed here during an official friendly visit to Bulgaria.
The General Secretary expressed his appreciation for the former emperor's support for the idea of attaching a commemorative plaque to the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh at Vrana Palace; believing that this will be an enduring symbol of the friendship between the two peoples, a "red address" for Vietnamese delegations as well as generations of Vietnamese people, friends and Bulgarian people to visit, commemorate and continue this fine tradition of relations.
Recognizing the former king's great contributions to the development of Bulgaria as Prime Minister, General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Vietnam does not forget the former king's practical contributions to the Vietnam - Bulgaria relationship.
Former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha expressed his emotion when after a long time he was welcomed by a top leader of Vietnam to his private home. The former emperor affirmed that he always remembered President Ho Chi Minh's memories when he visited Bulgaria and visited his family.
Saying that he himself is following the development of Vietnam, the former emperor expressed his delight at the comprehensive development achievements that Vietnam has achieved in recent times. He also affirmed that Bulgaria and he personally always have special affection and strong support for Vietnam's development and international integration.
Congratulating the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Bulgaria, the former emperor hoped that the traditional friendship between the two countries would continue to be inherited and believed that after General Secretary To Lam's visit, that relationship would develop even more strongly in the new period.
