Vietnam, Hungary upgrade relations to comprehensive partnership

• Party chief meets Hungarian Socialist Party Chairman
• Vietnamese and Hungarian PMs aim to expand cooperation
• Vietnamese, Hungarian PMs affirm valuing ties during talks

On the morning of September 10 (local time), Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.

The two sides concurred agreed to maintain reciprocal visits and exchanges between high-ranking leaders, boost political consultations and strategic dialogues through different channels, including Party, Government, and National Assembly, ministries, agencies, and localities. 

They showed their determination to enhance effective collaboration across a variety of fields, especially in economics, trade, investment, national defence, education-training, science-technology, environment, healthcare, culture, sports, and tourism, as well as share experience in maintaining and upholding traditional cultural identities during the process of development. 

The duo pledged to promote consultation on regional and global issues of mutual concern and effective cooperation at multilateral organizations and forums, particularly at the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Mekong-Danube Cooperation Initiative.

The Party leader told his host that said Vietnam Hungary a leading partner in central Eastern Europe and congratulated Hungary on its tremendous socio-economic achievements, which has turned the middle-eastern European nation into one of the leading economies in the European Union with political stability and social unity. 

He affirmed Vietnam’s support for Hungary in broadening coordination with ASEAN member states as well as its readiness to serve as a bridge for the European country to expand economic ties with the regional bloc. 

The Hungarian PM, in turn, said his nation regards Vietnam as its most important partner in Southeast Asia while describing the visit as a new milestone and driving force for the bilateral traditional friendship and dimensional cooperation. 

He also vowed to accelerate the early signing, ratification, and full implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement as a contribution to solidify EU market connectivity, including that between Hungary, Vietnam, and the ASEAN. 

Viktor Orban said the Hungarian government will continue to provide all possible support for Vietnamese expats in Hungary to help them lead stable lives and act as a bridge connecting the two nations. 

Regarding huge potential for stronger bilateral partnership, host and guest underlined the need to intensify activities of the Vietnam-Hungary Inter-Committee on Economic Cooperation, create favourable conditions for business communities to seek new opportunities and expand cooperation in healthcare, water management, information technology, pharmaceuticals, food safety, environment protection, and renewable energy. 

The Party chief praised Hungary for considering Vietnam a priority partner in its official development assistance policy and suggested working hand in hand in fields that are in line with Hungary’s capacity and meet Vietnam’s demand. 

He thanked the Hungarian government for its commitment to continue the provision of 200 scholarships for Vietnamese students each year. 

The two leaders welcomed the signing of several cooperation documents in national defence-security, justice, healthcare, education-training, and the organisation of the second Hungary-Vietnam conference of universities rectors in Budapest. 

They pledged to expand ties across culture, sports, and tourism so as to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and speed up plans for the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties by 2020.

Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban witness the signing of seven important cooperation documents.

After the talks, the two leaders hosted a press conference, issued a joint statement on the establishment of the Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership, and witnessed the signing of seven important cooperation documents.

The documents include an inter-government agreement on judicial assistance in civil matters, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation between the Defence Ministries of the two countries, another MoU on collaboration between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technology, and a plan on education cooperation in the 2019-2021 period between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources.

The Hungarian Water Association also inked MoUs with the People’s Committee of Quang Nam province on the implementation of the Quang Binh II clean water supply project, with the People’s Committee of Vinh Long province on a water treatment project in the province, and with the People’s Committee of the northern province of Thanh Hoa on a clean water supply project.