Hanoi (VNA) – Hungary views Vietnam as its loyal and reliable friend and most important strategic partner in Southeast Asia, underscoring the country's special role in Budapest’s “Eastern Opening” policy.
The remarks were made by Hungarian officials while hosting a delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Phan Dinh Trac, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for Internal Affairs during their visit from June 8–13.
They included First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Marta Mátrai, Deputy Prosecutor General Tibor Ibolya, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Illés Boglárka, and leaders of the ruling FIDESZ party, the Socialist Party, and the Workers’ Party.
The two sides exchanged views on the countries' situation, bilateral ties, and cooperation between the CPV and Hungarian political parties. Discussions covered anti-corruption efforts, judicial reform, legal development, and collaboration between their prosecutors’ offices and local authorities.
They reaffirmed shared values in promoting peace and resolving disputes through international law and the UN Charter. They also outlined major directions to promote Vietnam–Hungary cooperation in the time ahead.
Hungary reiterated its commitment to strengthening its traditional friendship and Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam.
Both sides expressed a desire to leverage economic complementarities and take advantage of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to boost bilateral trade to 2 billion USD in the near future.
The Hungarian officials also praised the Vietnamese community for their contributions to the country’s cultural and economic life.
Leaders of the Hungarian parties noted that despite differing political orientations, the parties always show support for deepening ties with Vietnam. Notably, the FIDESZ leader proposed enhancing exchanges and cooperation across party, state, parliamentary, and people-to-people channels.
Trac asserted that the Vietnamese Party, State and people attach importance to the fine traditional relationship between the two nations, which began in 1950 when Hungary was one of the 10 countries worldwide recognising Vietnam's independence and set up diplomatic ties with the Southeast Asian country.
He thanked the Hungarian people for supporting Vietnam's past struggles for national independence as well as its current national construction and development. He noted the strong momentum in political, economic, and cultural relations and emphasised the potential for further cooperation, particularly in trade, education, justice, and culture.
He also thanked Hungary for being the first EU member state to ratify the EVIPA and urged further support to promote ratification by other EU countries.
The delegation also laid a wreath at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Zalaegerszeg on the occasion of his 135th birth anniversary and expressed appreciation to the local community for preserving the first and only full-body statue of the Vietnamese leader in Central and Eastern Europe since 1976./.
