Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Hungary issued a joint statement on the establishment of their comprehensive partnership on the occasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Hungary from September 8-11.

The statement noted that during his visit, the CPV leader had talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, met President Janos Ader, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Hende Csaba, attended the conference of rectors of Vietnam and Hungary’s universities, and visited Szentendre city.

At the talks, the CPV leader and PM Viktor Orban briefed each other of the political and socio-economic situation in each country and discussed regional and international issues of shared concern.

They expressed delighted at the strong growth of bilateral relations over the past 68 years, stressing the significance of maintaining the existing mechanism of political consultations, and welcomed the regular exchanges of delegations between the two sides.

They underscored that Vietnam and Hungary are key partners for each other in their respective regions, showing their hope to further bolster bilateral ties through the establishment of a comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

The leaders affirmed that economic and financial cooperation continues to be a priority in bilateral collaboration. They highlighted the need for closer coordination and effective implementation of preferential loans that Hungary provided Vietnam in 2017.

They agreed to share experience and strengthen cooperation in issues related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, agriculture, food industry, finance and tax, water resources management, science-technology, labour, and natural resources and environmental protection.

The two sides affirmed the important role of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation in creating new cooperation opportunities in fields, while agreeing to create favourable conditions for goods of the two sides to access each other’s market, including the promotion of the signing and ratification of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU.

The leaders expressed the shared interest in bolstering cooperation in health care following specific contents included in the memorandum of understanding between Hungary’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology and Vietnam’s Ministry of Health.

They also welcomed the launching of the project to build a tumor hospital in Can Tho city using Hungary’s preferential credit.

Both sides welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation between the two Defence Ministries.

[Hungary considers Vietnam most important partner in S.E. Asia]

They stressed the importance of collaboration between the two judicial offices, and welcomed the signing of an agreement on mutual legal assistance in civil matters between Vietnam and Hungary.

Trong thanked the Hungarian Government for the recently increased number of scholarships offered to Vietnamese students. The two sides acknowledged the importance of cooperation in language education, and lauded the signing of a 2019-2021 educational cooperation programme between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities.

They agreed to intensify cultural, sport and tourism exchanges to enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples towards celebrations of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2020.

The leaders praised strong development in relationship between the two peoples, including partnership between entrepreneurs, encouraging the implementation of cooperative agreements between the two countries’ localities.

They emphasised the necessity of stepping up consultations and effective collaboration at multilateral forums and organisations, especially the United Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum which includes Mekong-Danube Cooperation.

Both affirmed the central role of the UN in maintaining international peace and security and promoting sustainable development and prosperity, while stressing the principle of addressing disputes by peaceful means, without using or threatening to use violence and on the basis of international law and the UN Charter.

The Vietnamese Party chief thanked the Hungarian Government for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study, work and do business in Hungary. PM Orban, in turn, appreciated the community’s contributions to boosting the two countries’ friendship.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the outcomes of Trong’s official visit to Hungary, considering it an important political event in the history of the bilateral relations which creates a new driving force for the ties in all fields.

Trong showed his gratitude for the Hungarian side’s warm welcome and invited the Hungarian PM to visit Vietnam. The latter accepted the invitation.-VNA