Hungary considers Vietnam a strategic partner in Southeast Asia.

National Assembly Chairman Kover Laszlo affirmed that Hungary has considered Vietnam a strategic partner in the Southeast Asian region since 2010.

On the morning of April 10 (local time), at the Hungarian Parliament House, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament Kover Laszlo presided over a welcoming ceremony for National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

At the talks, the two National Assembly Chairmen agreed to strengthen coordination in monitoring and urging the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments; support the governments, localities, businesses and people of the two countries to increase exchanges and promote relations to enhance mutual understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her delight at leading a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly to visit the beautiful, peaceful and hospitable country of Hungary. This visit aims to promote and deepen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary in general and the Hungarian National Assembly in particular, opening up new prospects for bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums.

The National Assembly Chairman held talks with the Hungarian National Assembly Chairman.

Appreciating that Vietnam and Hungary have always maintained their traditional friendship and good multifaceted cooperation, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that Vietnam always remembers the valuable and effective assistance of the Hungarian State and people in the cause of national defense and construction.

On this occasion, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan sincerely thanked Hungary for supporting Vietnam's candidacy for the United Nations Economic and Social Council for the 2016-2018 term, and pledged to support Vietnam's candidacy for the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. For her part, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan affirmed that Vietnam supports Hungary's candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the 2017-2019 term.

Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Kover Laszlo expressed his pleasure at welcoming Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to Hungary and emphasized that this visit has historical significance. Since 2008, Hungary has had the opportunity to welcome the Speaker of the Vietnamese National Assembly for an official visit. The Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in socio-economic development and international integration; emphasizing that the relationship between the two countries has been developing well in many fields.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

The two countries regularly exchange delegations at all levels, especially between high-ranking leaders of the two countries, creating a strong driving force for effective cooperation in many fields. Economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has recently seen remarkable developments. Two-way trade turnover last year reached about 266 million USD, an increase of 36.28% compared to 2015.

Speaker of the National Assembly Kover Laszlo affirmed that Hungary has considered Vietnam a strategic partner in the Southeast Asian region since 2010. Hungary has built a new strategy on foreign affairs and foreign trade, including Vietnam. The Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly suggested that in the coming time, the two sides should further promote economic and trade cooperation.

At the meeting, the two sides highly appreciated the results of the 7th Meeting of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation held in Budapest from March 23-24. The two sides agreed on bilateral cooperation plans, including measures to enhance economic and trade exchanges through regularly organizing fairs and exhibitions to introduce products and technologies of each country.

Talks between the two sides.

However, both sides also said that Hungary's direct investment in Vietnam is still low, not commensurate with the potential and desires of both sides. The Vietnamese side suggested that Hungary increase investment in areas where Vietnam has demand and Hungary has strengths, such as: water resource exploitation, environmental treatment, medicine and pharmacy; food processing; production of microbiological fertilizers, renewable energy... Vietnam welcomes Hungary's policy to promote economic cooperation between the two countries, including the signing of a framework agreement on credit cooperation worth 440 million Euros.

The two sides agreed that education and training is a traditional field of cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary. The Vietnamese side highly appreciated Hungary's great priority for Vietnam by increasing the number of scholarships granted to Vietnamese students to 100 each year to Hungary to study in majors that Vietnam has demand for and Hungary has strengths in, such as renewable energy, supporting industries, environmental protection, water treatment, information technology, economics, agriculture, health, etc.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan thanked Hungary for helping Vietnam build the Can Tho Oncology Hospital. This is an important and practical project, creating a good impression in the relationship between the two countries.

Regarding cooperation between the two National Assemblies, the two sides recognized that the two countries' National Assemblies always coordinate and support each other at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums. The two Presidents agreed that in the coming time, they will continue to increase exchanges of high-level delegations of National Assembly leaders, National Assembly agencies, Parliamentary Friendship Groups and parliamentarians; and increase the exchange of experiences in parliamentary activities of each country.

The two sides agreed to coordinate in monitoring and urging the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments and strategic cooperation projects; support the governments, localities, businesses and people of the two countries to increase exchanges and promote relations to enhance mutual understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan writes in the Golden Book of Remembrance.

The Chairman of the Hungarian National Assembly agreed to continue supporting and sharing experiences in law-making, supervising the activities of the State apparatus and training officials for Vietnam.

At the end of the talks, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan signed the Golden Book of Remembrance, expressing her impression of the National Assembly building, an architectural work and masterpiece of Hungary; and wished the traditional relationship and multifaceted cooperation between the State and people of Vietnam and Hungary to develop further.

Previously, the National Assembly Chairman laid flowers at the hero's monument in Budapest city./.

According to VOV