Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam always attaches great importance to strengthening ties with traditional friends in Central and Eastern Europe, with Hungary being a top priority, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told visiting Hungarian President Sulyok Tamas at their meeting in Hanoi on May 29.
The Government leader highlighted the significance of Tamas’s visit, noting that it holds special importance as the two countries are celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950 – 2025), and Vietnam is marking the 80th anniversary of its National Day.
He recalled the impressions and outcomes of his official visit to Hungary in January 2024, showing his belief that the trip will create new momentum to further strengthen the Vietnam–Hungary Comprehensive Partnership across fields, for the benefit of the two nations' people, and for peace, stability, solidarity, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and the world.
Vietnam will never forget the valuable assistance Hungary provided during its struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, as well as in the current process of national construction and development, the PM said.
He also thanked Hungary for being the largest provider of concessional loans to Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe, with a total committed sum of 500 million USD, and for donating COVID-19 vaccines during the most challenging period of the pandemic, which helped Vietnam recover its economy early.
In a friendly and trustful atmosphere, PM Chinh briefed the guest on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements, noting that the country’s GDP hit 473 billion USD in 2024, with per capita income approaching the world’s upper-middle-income threshold, and its happiness index rising by 11 places in 2024 and a further 8 places this year.
Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 194 countries and joined 17 free trade agreements (FTAs), connecting with 60 leading economies worldwide, he added.
The PM highlighted Vietnam’s major strategic orientations, focusing on building socialist democracy, a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people, and a socialist-oriented market economy.
Vietnam is also implementing three strategic breakthroughs - improving institutions, developing infrastructure, and enhancing high-quality human resources, he continued, noting Vietnam aims to promote an independent and self-reliant economy driven by science, technology, and innovation; to foster the private sector; to streamline the state apparatus; and to deepen international integration, towards the status of a high-income developed country by 2045.
President Tamas expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable achievements over nearly four decades of Doi Moi (renewal) and praised the country’s growing role and position in the region and on the global stage.
The leader affirmed that Vietnam remains one of Hungary’s most important partners in ASEAN, showing his support for PM Chinh’s proposal on key measures to deepen bilateral ties.
The two countries should enhance political trust through continued delegation exchanges, thereby boosting cooperation across fields; maintain solidarity, close coordination, and mutual support at multilateral forums amidst growing global complexities; and support the stance on resolving disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law, in order to foster a peaceful and stable environment for development in each region and globally.
At the same time, two countries need to strengthen trade and investment cooperation, soon hold the meeting of the Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, and strive to achieve a trade turnover of 2 billion USD.
They should intensify development cooperation, and propose and effectively implement projects using preferential credit from the Hungarian Government for Vietnam.
Another measure is to boost cooperation in education, particularly in nuclear energy, electricity, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and climate change.
Other measures focus on collaboration in labour, cultural, tourism and people-to-people exchange, focusing on activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025.
The Hungarian President affirmed that he will urge other European Union (EU) countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and support and urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove the "yellow card" against Vietnam's seafood exports.
The leaders agreed to continue to effectively implement the agreements between the two countries, promote cooperation in traditional areas such as trade - investment, science - technology, education - training, national defence - security, medicine - pharmacy, culture - tourism and people-to-people exchange, and expand collaboration to areas where both sides have strengths and needs such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and labour.
On this occasion, PM Chinh suggested Hungarian authorities at all levels continue to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to integrate further into the host society, make positive contributions to the local socio-economy, and promote its important role in strengthening the traditional friendship between the two countries./.
