The 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Hungary (February 3, 1950-2015) was celebrated in HCM City on February 4 at a ceremony by the city’s Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Association and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations.

Addressing the ceremony, Nguyen Hong Linh, Director of the city’s External Relations Department, said that despite ups and downs over the past 65 years, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary have been strengthened through trust, emotion and determination fostered over many generations.

In recent years, the relationship has developed with fruitful cooperation across many sectors, contributing to the process of modernisation and development in each country, Linh said.

Within the scope of bilateral cooperation, HCM City has always been the central figure in implementing cooperation activities with Hungary, especially its capital, Budapest, said Linh.

Vietnam’s people, and the nation as a whole, will continue promoting close and widening cooperation with Hungary.

Reviewing important historic landmarks in the relationship between the two countries, Hungary’s Ambassador to Vietnam Torda Eszter said despite their geographical distance, Vietnam and Hungary share a common fighting spirit to overcome hardship in the struggle for independence.

Since establishing diplomatic relations, both countries have provided one another with support during wartime and in the cause of national development today.

According to Ambassador Eszter, achievements in recent years will pave the way for a new level of cooperation between the two countries.

In 2014, trade between HCM City and Hungary reached nearly 44 million USD, up 24 percent from the previous year.

The city also welcomed more than 1,200 Hungarian tourists last year.

As of the end of 2014, the city granted licences to four Hungarian investment projects with a combined capital of 3.7 million USD.-VNA