State President Lương Cường with his Hungarian counterpart Sulyok Tamás in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam always values and wishes to enhance cooperation with Hungary, its top-priority partner and first comprehensive partner in Central and Eastern Europe, State President Lương Cường said while holding talks with Hungarian President Sulyok Tamás in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

Welcoming the Hungarian President’s official visit, Cường stressed that this trip, taking place on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations (1950–2025), is a significant event that contributes to creating a breakthrough in deepening and enhancing the effectiveness of the Việt Nam–Hungary Comprehensive Partnership.

He congratulated Hungary on its achievements in socio-economic development and European integration in recent years, which have contributed to enhancing its position in the region and the world.

Tamás expressed his pleasure at making his first visit to Việt Nam, saying that he is particularly impressed by Việt Nam's significant achievements in the Đổi mới (Renewal) process and international integration.

He said that Hungary always considers Việt Nam its most important partner in Southeast Asia and wants to further strengthen cooperation with the nation across all fields. 

State President Lương Cường (right) held official talks with Hungarian counterpart Sulyok Tamás in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

During their talks, the two leaders expressed their delight at the positive developments in Việt Nam–Hungary relations in multiple fields, especially since the two countries upgraded their ties to a comprehensive partnership in 2018, reflected through the exchange of numerous delegations at all levels, particularly high-level visits.

Economic cooperation remains a highlight, with bilateral trade reaching nearly US$1 billion in 2024. Collaboration in other areas such as education and training, environment, culture, tourism, defence and security and people-to-people exchanges has also continued to yield positive results.

Discussing orientations and key measures to further advance bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to continue strengthening contacts and exchanges at all levels, across all channels to enhance political trust and mutual understanding, thus forming a solid foundation for promoting comprehensive cooperation in all areas.

On trade and investment, the two sides affirmed that this area constitutes a vital pillar of bilateral cooperation. They agreed to further promote the role of the Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, while encouraging relevant ministries, agencies, localities, and businesses from both countries to effectively implement the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Both leaders underscored the importance of fostering investment ties in Hungary’s key sectors, such as information technology, energy, agriculture, food industry, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, to leverage each other’s position to access the ASEAN market with over 650 million people and a combined GDP exceeding $4 trillion and the EU market, including Central and Eastern Europe.

President Cường thanked Hungary for being among the first EU countries to ratify the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He called on Hungary to continue supporting the ratification process in other EU member states and to advocate for the European Commission’s early removal of the IUU 'yellow card' warning on Vietnamese seafood exports. 

Talks between State President Lương Cường and Hungarian counterpart Sulyok Tamás in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

In the field of education and training, both countries recognised the tradition of cooperation. Cường thanked Hungary for its longstanding support in training thousands of Vietnamese personnel, many of whom now hold important positions in Việt Nam's state apparatus and economy, making substantial contributions to bilateral relations.

The two sides concurred to enhance the effective use of the 200 scholarships granted annually by Hungary to Vietnamese students, with priority given to fields currently in high demand in Việt Nam, such as medicine, pharmacy, information and communication technology, environmental studies, and agriculture.

The leaders stressed the need to boost cooperation in traditional fields such as national defence and security, science and technology, agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, while expanding cooperation into new areas such as digital transformation, information technology, environment, and water resource management.

President Cường thanked the Hungarian government for its positive assessment of the Vietnamese community in Hungary and called on authorities at all levels to continue creating favourable conditions for them, thereby contributing to Hungary’s development and the flourishing of bilateral ties.

The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and mutual support at multilateral platforms, particularly within the framework of the United Nations (UN), with a view to jointly addressing pressing global challenges.

Touching on regional and international matters of shared concern, including the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, President Tamás remarked on the many parallels between the two countries in terms of foreign policy and historical experience, united by a common pursuit of peace and justice.

Both reaffirmed the importance of settling disputes and conflicts in the world through peaceful means, based on the basic principles of the UN Charter and international law, notably the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in regions as well as around the world, in the interest of global cooperation and common prosperity.

President Tamás invited President Cường to visit Hungary. President Cường accepted the invitation with pleasure and will arrange the visit at an appropriate time. — VNA/VNS