Economic cooperation will act as an important driving force to consolidate and tighten the fine relations between Vietnam and Hungary in the time to come, said President Truong Tan Sang.

Visiting President Truong Tan Sang made the statement while attending the Hungary-Vietnam Business Forum held by the two countries’ Chambers of Commerce and Industry on September 17, which saw the participation of some 300 top businesses from both sides.

Vietnam and Hungary set up diplomatic ties over 60 years ago, but bilateral trade reached only 120 million USD last year. As a result, President Sang said he hopes the two countries’ businesses will enhance cooperation based on their friendship and available potentials.

The Vietnamese and Hungarian entrepreneurs will be the pioneers to realise that perception of the two countries’ leaders, he noted.

He suggested the two sides cooperate in education-training, especially vocation training, agricultural production, husbandry, pharmaceutical products and energy and affirmed that Vietnam is willing to create favourable conditions for Hungarian enterprises to invest in the Southeast Asian country.

According to Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Navracsics Tibor, though its major export market is Europe, Hungary always attaches special importance to traditional friends, including Vietnam - a fast growing country with important role in ASEAN.

Economic ties based on the foundation of friendship will help reduce costs and strengthen the reliable cooperation for the benefit of each country, he added.

On the same day, President Sang made fact-finding tours to some agricultural breeding farms and pharmaceutical factories and received some representatives from Hungary’s scientific circle before concluding his state visit to Hungary.

The Vietnamese President will pay a state visit to Denmark from September 18-20.-VNA