Ambassador Bui Le Thai: The visit opens up opportunities and effectively deepens the Vietnam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership

Đại sứ Bùi Lê Thái: Chuyến thăm mở ra cơ hội hợp tác, đào sâu và phát triển quan hệ Đối tác toàn diện Việt Nam-Hungary

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán witnessed the signing ceremony of a cooperation document between the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations, in Budapest, January 18, 2024. (Source: VGP)

At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Szijjarto Peter paid an official visit to Vietnam from March 18-19.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bui Le Thai shared with The Gioi Va Viet Nam Newspaper the significance of the visit, as well as the upcoming key events in the year commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (February 3, 1950 - February 3, 2025).

Could you please assess the significance of the upcoming visit to Vietnam by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Szijjarto Peter for the Vietnam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership, especially as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations?

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bui Le Thai. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary)

The visit to Vietnam by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Szijjarto Peter took place in the context of the two countries celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, so it is very important, not only demonstrating Hungary's respect for its relations with Vietnam but also opening up many new cooperation opportunities, contributing to consolidating and developing the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries, bringing the relationship increasingly deeper and more effective.

The visit is an opportunity for both sides to review the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in recent times, assess the implementation of signed cooperation agreements, especially those signed during the visit to Hungary by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in January 2024; discuss preparations for the 10th meeting of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation to propose measures to further strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the fields of economics, trade and investment.

In 2025, Vietnam and Hungary plan to hold many practical activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, including high-level delegation exchanges and cultural events, trade and investment promotion. Minister Szijjarto Peter's visit will contribute to promoting and preparing for these activities.

Hungary is Vietnam's first Comprehensive Partner in Central Eastern Europe. What are the highlights of bilateral relations over the past 7 decades, especially since the upgrade of relations to Comprehensive Partnership in 2018?

The relationship between the two countries is built on the foundation of deep political trust and mutual understanding, maintained and nurtured throughout the period of Vietnam's struggle for national liberation and reunification and in the current period of national renovation and construction. President Ho Chi Minh played a great role in laying the foundation and developing this traditional friendship.

The respect that the Hungarian government and people have for President Ho Chi Minh, the sympathy, support and valuable assistance of the Hungarian people for the struggle for independence and national reunification of Vietnam in the past have made this Central Eastern European country a close and loyal friend of Vietnam over the past 75 years.

Hungary is the only country in Central Eastern Europe to erect a full-body statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the city of Zalaegerszeg and today this memorial monument still stands the test of time.

Over the past 7 decades, the relationship between the two countries has made remarkable progress, culminating in the elevation of the relationship to Comprehensive Partnership in September 2018 during General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to Hungary, making Hungary Vietnam's first Comprehensive Partner in the Central Eastern Europe region, opening a new stage of development in the relationship between the two countries.

Since upgrading relations to Comprehensive Partnership, two-way trade turnover has increased significantly, exceeding the threshold of 1 billion USD, making Vietnam one of Hungary's largest trade partners in Southeast Asia.

Hungary considers Vietnam a priority in its official development assistance (ODA) policy with a commitment of 440 million Euros (about 465 million USD) in preferential loans to implement projects in priority areas of cooperation between the two countries.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Hungary was one of the first countries to support Vietnam with more than 200,000 doses of vaccines and many medical equipment, and transferred more than 400,000 doses of vaccines, contributing to helping Vietnam overcome the epidemic soon.

Currently, Hungary is the country that provides the most scholarships to Vietnamese students in the Central and Eastern European region every year, with about 200 scholarships. Hungary is also one of the first countries to ratify the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the first EU country to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

In addition, the two countries have signed many cooperation documents in almost all fields, creating an important legal framework and a solid foundation to consolidate and bring bilateral cooperation between the two countries into depth, practicality and effectiveness.

In particular, the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Fidesz Party - the ruling Hungarian Civic Alliance in Hungary signed a Memorandum of Understanding on enhancing cooperation between the two parties in 2017 to create a solid political foundation for relations between the two States of Vietnam and Hungary.

In addition, regular and periodic exchange mechanisms between the two countries such as political consultations at the Deputy Foreign Minister level and meetings of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation have been maintained, and people-to-people exchange activities, cultural, sports and tourism cooperation have taken place vibrantly and abundantly.

Hungarian President Sulyok Tamás warmly received Ambassador Bui Le Thai, January 2025.

Hungary has always actively supported Vietnam in the process of negotiating and signing the EVFTA and was the first EU country to ratify the EVIPA. Economic, trade and investment cooperation has also been identified by the leaders of both sides as an important pillar in the bilateral relationship. So what measures have the two countries taken to promote and strengthen this pillar with existing cooperation mechanisms?

Vietnam considers Hungary one of its leading economic partners in Central Eastern Europe and Hungary, with its “Look East” policy, also considers Vietnam a priority partner in the Southeast Asian region.

EVFTA, which took effect from August 1, 2020, has created favorable conditions for increasing trade between Vietnam and EU countries, including Hungary.

Immediately after the EVFTA took effect, Vietnam has stepped up trade promotion and business connection between the two countries; organized many working delegations of ministries, branches, localities as well as Vietnamese enterprises to Hungary to research the market, connect with partners, and seek cooperation, business and investment opportunities.

A typical example is the Vietnam-Hungary Business Forum held during the visit to Hungary by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in January 2024, co-chaired by the two Prime Ministers.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary has also actively coordinated with domestic and local agencies and localities to organize many seminars and business forums to connect businesses of the two countries, display goods and products, especially Vietnam's key export products, including ST25 rice, thereby helping to increase the export turnover of Vietnamese goods to Hungary.

From 2020 to 2022, the total import-export turnover between the two countries will reach over 1 billion USD per year, despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Vietnam is always among the top Southeast Asian countries exporting to Hungary, with traditional agricultural export products maintaining a firm position in the Hungarian market.

In 2024, the two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Hungary reached 932 million USD, an increase of 10%, of which exports reached 706 million USD and Vietnam had a trade surplus of 550 million USD. In 2024, the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary and the Trade Office organized a business delegation of 37 Hungarian companies, distributors and retailers to Vietnam to attend the International Goods Supply Chain Connection Exhibition (Vietnam Sourcing Expo 2024) to seek opportunities for cooperation, investment and business.

It is expected that in 2025, the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary will continue to organize a Hungarian business delegation to attend the International Supply Chain Connection Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hungary is the first EU member state to ratify the EVIPA, demonstrating the Hungarian Government’s strong commitment to protecting investors’ rights and creating a stable and transparent business environment. This encourages Hungarian businesses to invest in Vietnam and vice versa.

Many Hungarian enterprises expressed their desire to take advantage of the opportunities brought by EVFTA, wanting to come to Vietnam to learn about the market, invest and do business. To date, Hungary's direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam has reached 72.36 million USD, ranking 55th out of 149 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

In the opposite direction, Vietnam has invested in Hungary in two projects with a total capital of 5.8 million USD and currently a large investment project worth more than 80 million USD is in the stage of applying for an investment license. The above efforts of both countries have been and are making an important contribution to promoting and strengthening the pillars of economic, trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attend the Vietnam-Hungary Business Forum in Budapest, January 2024. (Source: VGP)

The human factor has always been the bond that binds the strong friendship between Vietnam and Hungary. In this special year, what activities have the two countries carried out to promote increasingly close people-to-people exchanges?

In 2025, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Hungary, the two countries have planned to carry out many activities to enhance understanding and further strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the two peoples.

First of all, the two countries will continue to maintain visits by high-ranking leaders to enhance political trust and mutual understanding. In addition to the visit of the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations, in 2025 the President and Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly also plan to visit Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side, it is expected that there will be 2 high-ranking delegations and many delegations at the level of Deputy Ministers of Ministries, branches, localities, and Committees of the Vietnamese National Assembly to visit Hungary.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary also plans to organize many activities to practically celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, such as Vietnam Culture Day; photo exhibitions, short reportage presentations on the history of relations between the two countries from 1950 to present in Budapest and Hungarian provinces, cities and universities; Ao Dai show at the National Assembly; organization of the Vietnam-Hungary Business Forum; trade promotion seminars connecting businesses of the two countries, promoting and introducing Vietnam's key export products, etc.

At the end of April, the Embassy will solemnly organize the 75th Anniversary of Vietnam-Hungary Relations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and national reunification to express gratitude for the valuable support and assistance that the Government and people of Hungary have given to the Vietnamese people in the past struggle for national liberation as well as in the cause of Renovation and national construction today. On this occasion, the Embassy will coordinate with the Hungarian side to publish a special issue commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, the Embassy will coordinate with the Zalaegerszeg City government, where the Uncle Ho statue is located, to organize a workshop on President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts of peace, independence, freedom and happiness.

In addition, the Embassy is also promoting cooperation between a number of localities of the two countries, thereby enhancing people-to-people exchanges and opening up many opportunities for cooperation in all aspects between the localities of the two countries.

The traditional friendship between Vietnam and Hungary also has a very special bridge, which is the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in Hungary. This community has been integrating well into the local community, making many positive contributions to the socio-economic development of Hungary and promoting its role as a bridge, creating a solid social foundation for the good friendship between the two peoples.

Currently, the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary is actively lobbying the Hungarian National Assembly and Government to recognize the Vietnamese community in Hungary as an ethnic minority so that the community can fully and comprehensively integrate into Hungarian social life, and have the conditions to further contribute to the friendship between the two peoples.

I believe that the high-level visits and activities above will make an important contribution to enhancing political trust, mutual understanding, promoting people-to-people exchanges and consolidating the strong friendship between Vietnam and Hungary in this special year.

Thank you very much Ambassador!

"In 2025, Vietnam and Hungary plan to organize many practical activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, including high-level delegation exchanges and cultural events, trade and investment promotion. Minister Szijjarto Peter's visit will contribute to promoting and preparing for these activities." (Ambassador Bui Le Thai)