Representatives of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development – Bulgaria (CEED Bulgaria) are on a working visit to Vietnam within the framework of the project “Functionally Sustainable Migration and Integration in Bulgaria” (FSMI in Bulgaria), implemented with the support of the Ministry of Interior and co-financed by the European Union.
The visit is part of the project's international information campaign, aimed at promoting the newly established online platform BGJobs, which connects Bulgarian employers with third-country job candidates.
The program of the visit began with a meeting at the Hanoi University of Industry, during which the prospects for developing bilateral economic relations between Bulgaria and Vietnam were discussed, along with opportunities for future cooperation in workforce recruitment, training of highly qualified personnel, and education.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Dong, Vice President of the university, welcomed the participants, underlining a strong commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation and exchanging best practices
Gabriela Dimitrova, Director of Directorate “International Cooperation and International Organizations” at BCCI, highlighted the Chamber's work and its strong cooperation with higher education institutions in Bulgaria. She pointed out that BCCI maintains formal cooperation agreements with numerous universities nationwide.
She shared that the purpose of the visit to Vietnam was to present the „FSMI in Bulgaria“ project, which is aimed at creating sustainable mechanisms for attracting and integrating a workforce from third countries in response to the needs of Bulgarian business.
Gabriela Dimitrova also presented core characteristics of the Bulgarian economy, emphasizing the country's membership in the EU and NATO, its accession to the Schengen area, and the introduction of the euro.
Stanislav Chervenkov, Executive Director of CEED Bulgaria, presented the organization's activities and services, as well as its initiatives to attract workforce from Albania, Armenia, Vietnam, Ukraine, and Moldova.
The participants were introduced to the functionalities of the BGJobs platform, which aims to facilitate contact between Bulgarian employers and job candidates from third countries. The upcoming online information event dedicated to professional opportunities in Bulgaria for Vietnamese partners was also presented.
Tsvetan Aleksov, Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Hanoi, welcomed the participants and noted the growing interest among Bulgarian employers in hiring workers from Vietnam.
According to him, Bulgarian companies that have already hired Vietnamese workers give a positive assessment of their professional skills.
He described the „FSMI in Bulgaria” project as an additional opportunity for the development of economic relations between the two countries.
During the session, participants examined various practical matters related to bringing Vietnamese workers to Bulgaria. Discussions centered on the professional fields and skills needed by domestic employers, regulatory channels for recruiting non-EU talent, social and health insurance, working hours, and the overall employment conditions.
During the visit, a meeting was held with representatives of VNSKILL, a company specializing in talent identification and mediation for their professional placement abroad. Special emphasis was placed on the potential cooperation between VNSKILL and the BGJobs platform, created under the “FSMI in Bulgaria” project. The two platforms could complement each other and establish a 'bridge' between Bulgarian employers and potential candidates from Vietnam.
The working visit to Vietnam is part of the international activities under the “FSMI in Bulgaria” project, aimed at building sustainable partnerships and informing potential candidates about professional opportunities in Bulgaria.