Vietnam and Hungary signed a mutual legal assistance agreement on criminal matters, in Hanoi, on March 16, in the presence of President Truong Tan Sang.

President Truong Tan Sang (C) at the signing ceremony

The signatories are Prosecutor General of the Vietnam Supreme People’s Procuracy Nguyen Hoa Binh and Hungarian Minister of Justice Laszlo Trochani.

The agreement is significant to improve the legal cooperation framework between the two countries.

It also creates a foundation for law agencies to enhance mutual assistance in investigating, prosecuting, and handling criminal cases, especially cross-border crime, as well as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the two nations’ citizens.

Judicial ties – impulse for comprehensive Vietnam-Hungary cooperation

The recent judicial cooperation will help Vietnam and Hungary step up their affiliation in other fields, said Hungarian Minister of Justice Laszlo Trocsanyi.

The minister told the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of his working visit to Vietnam from March 14-17 that the bilateral judicial collaboration will contribute to spurring economic growth and modernising administrative systems in each country.

According to the official, the two sides have supported each other in making and approving new laws, and training judges.

Apart from a judicial cooperation agreement signed in 2013, they have set up a further framework for this sector in the next two years and agreed to mark the Hungary-Vietnam Law Day in Budapest in 2017, Laszlo Trocsanyi noted.

Vietnam and Hungary boast substantial potential for collaboration in other spheres like economy, culture, higher education, science-technology, and database protection and establishment.

Hungary is assisting Vietnam in piloting a citizen management programme in the northern port city of Hai Phong, the minister said, adding that his country stands ready to support the Southeast Asian nation in building hospitals.

A water company of Budapest is interested in constructing waste water treatment facilities in Vietnamese hospitals and many major Hungarian companies and groups are seeking investment opportunities in the country, he said.

During the interview, Laszlo Trocsanyi stressed the need to elevate the two countries’ relationship and create a momentum for their cooperation in the future. There is currently a community of 4,000 Vietnamese in Hungary and this is a good foundation to expand the mutually beneficial affiliation.

Hungarian authorities and people highly value the Vietnamese community and are very willing to help them to integrate in the country, thus further boosting bilateral ties, he said.-

VNA