Bulgarian Vice President says long-standing friendship with China to continue

SOFIA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova said on Tuesday she was confident that the long-standing friendship between her country and China would continue in the future, with fruitful results.

Iotova made the remarks in a letter to the online celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria.

"I would like to emphasize the dynamic development of China in recent years and the transformation of the country into an engine of global economic growth," Iotova said.

"I take this opportunity to reiterate the traditionally good relations between Bulgaria and China at all levels," she added.

Both countries want to develop untapped potential in a number of areas of cooperation, Iotova said, noting that she's confident that the two peoples will "continue to write the history of their long-standing friendship."

Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun said that Bulgaria was the second country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

Based on mutual respect, benefit, and equality, the development of Sino-Bulgarian relations has always been smooth, Dong said.

The ever-closer economic and trade exchange, and friendship between the two countries and the sincere friendship between the peoples have continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, the ambassador added.

According to Chinese official statistics, trade between China and Bulgaria from January to July this year amounted to 2.218 billion U.S. dollars, with an annual increase of 43.7 percent, Dong said.