Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Szijjártó Péter paid an official visit to Vietnam on March 19. During a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Prime Minister thanked Hungary, a steadfast friend, for its invaluable support over the past 75 years.

Strengthening strategic cooperation

Despite global and regional challenges, trade and investment between Vietnam and Hungary have continued to grow positively. Both sides are preparing to organize the 10th session of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation in Hanoi this year, aiming to boost bilateral trade and investment after a period of interruption.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh discussed with Minister Szijjártó Péter ways to enhance cooperation in education, engineering, electronics, tourism, labor, and railway connectivity between Southeast Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.

The Prime Minister also expressed his hope that Hungary would support Vietnam in training high-quality human resources for operating nuclear power plants - an area where Hungary has significant expertise and Vietnam has a pressing need.

Hungary’s commitment to nuclear training

Minister Szijjártó Péter expressed his delight at visiting Vietnam on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1950–2025).

He praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements and reiterated Hungary’s commitment to strengthening traditional friendship and multi-faceted cooperation.

With 50 years of experience in operating nuclear power plants using Russian technology, Hungary is ready to train Vietnamese specialists in nuclear power plant operations. The Minister emphasized that nuclear energy training is considered a strategic area of collaboration between the two countries.

Expanding bilateral cooperation

The leaders also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern and agreed that both countries share similar foreign policy priorities. They emphasized the importance of closer cooperation at multilateral forums.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called on Hungary, as an EU member, to advocate for the swift ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the lifting of the yellow card on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

Minister Szijjártó Péter also praised the Vietnamese community in Hungary for their diligence and integration, contributing positively to the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held talks with Minister Szijjártó Péter. They expressed their satisfaction with the positive development of bilateral relations over the past 75 years, particularly in politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, culture, education, and healthcare.

Trade turnover between the two countries has maintained positive growth, reaching approximately 1 billion USD annually. Hungary remains one of Vietnam’s key trading partners in Central and Eastern Europe, while Vietnam is a promising market for Hungary in Asia.

The leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as nuclear power training, agriculture, environmental protection, defense, security, tourism, healthcare, IT, and climate change response. They also encouraged Hungarian businesses to invest more in Vietnam and maximize opportunities from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Tran Thuong