Vietnam, Hungary seek ways to further all-around cooperation

Talks were held between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Viktor Orban following a welcome ceremony in Hanoi on September 25.

The Vietnamese government leader told his guest that Vietnam always values ties with traditional friends in the Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary as a priority partner.

In turn, Viktor Orban said that his nation always regards Vietnam as a prioritised traditional friendly partner in the region and desires to promote all-around ties with the country.

PM Phuc hailed Hungary for considering Vietnam a priority partner in its official development assistance (ODA) policy by granting a total preferential loan of 535 million EUR, 440 million EUR of which was put forth within the framework agreement on financial cooperation signed in January 2017.

He applauded the signing of Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the framework agreement on financial cooperation and

thanked the Hungarian government for helping Vietnam build Can Tho Oncology Hospital through its preferential loans.

The two leaders reached a consensus on specific measures to enhance links across education-training, culture-tourism, labour, health care, natural resources-environment, national defence-security.

They also consented to increase the efficiency of the Inter-Committee on Economic Cooperation mechanism, and trade and investment by making it easier for the two countries’ businesses to form networking and navigate each other’s market, especially in fields of Hungary’s strength and Vietnam’s demand such as the exploitation of water resources, environment protection, pharmaceuticals, animal husbandry, food processing and renewable energy.

PM Phuc thanked Hungarian government for providing 200 scholarships to Vietnamese students each year, and suggested increasing scholarships for those majoring in health care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and information technology.

He also thanked the Hungarian government for backing Vietnam’s bid to run for a seat at the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure and welcomed Hungary’s active role in the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Mekong-Danube cooperation mechanism.

Hungary supports Vietnam in strengthening ties with the European Union, including the early signing and ratification of the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, he said.

Regarding the East Sea issue, they underlined the need to settle disputes by peaceful means in line with international law.

Viktor Orban pledged

all possible support to Vietnamese nationals living in the country, thus making it easier for them to act as a bridge for bilateral friendship and collaboration.

Following the talks, the two government leaders hosted a press conference, issued a joint statement and witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements on finance, culture, education, agriculture, labour, information technology and communications, and a twining agreement between the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and a Hungarian city.