(VOVWORLD) - After attending the 54th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will pay official visits to Hungary and Romania from January 18-23. The visits are aimed at increasing political trust, strengthening and enlivening the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Hungary and Romania, and uplifting bilateral cooperation in multiple aspects.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife leave for WEF Davos 2024 and officials visits to Hungary and Romania from January 16 to 23 (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac) |
Hungary and Romania were among the first 10 countries in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam after Vietnam declared its independence. Over the past 70 years, the governments and peoples of those two countries have worked closely with Vietnam to further bilateral cooperation.
Fostering friendship with Hungary
Since Vietnam and Hungary established diplomatic ties on February 3, 1950, and upgraded the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2018, their bilateral ties have grown steadily. Hungary has invested in 15 FDI projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of 51 million USD, ranking Hungary 55th among countries and territories invested in Vietnam.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hungary was one of the first countries to support Vietnam, sending medical equipment and 400,000 doses of vaccine to help Vietnam cope with the epidemic.
The two countries have fostered cooperation in education and training for a long time. Hungary is the largest provider of scholarships to Vietnam among EU countries.
 State Secretary and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of European Union Affairs Barna Pál Zsigmond (Photo: quochoi.vn) |
State Secretary and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of European Union Affairs Barna Pál Zsigmond said: "Our education relations go back several decades. The backbone of our development cooperation and the support policies with Vietnam is in the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program through which Hungary provides 200 annual scholarships for Vietnamese students. I'm glad to say this program is very popular among the young Vietnamese students. Every year we receive more than 400 applications, more than double than the allocated yearly quota. We are also delighted to welcome aspiring students of Vietnam-Hungary who in the future can serve as a bridge between our two countries and contribute to further strengthening our already closed ties. that education cooperation is the backbone of development cooperation between Vietnam and Hungary."
There are 6,000 Vietnamese people living in Hungary, mainly in Budapest. In the context of steadily developing bilateral ties, Prime Minister Chinh’s visit to Hungary is significant, said Mr. Zsigmond.
"I think that it's a historical visit. We already have a very good relationship with Vietnam and we are very much interested in raising the level of cooperation in all fields, ranging from political, cultural and economical. I think we have a lot of standpoints. And both countries and both leadership have a lots of things in common and we have a lot of ideas which can be shared between us," said Zsigmond.
As Hungary will assume the rotating Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of this year, PM Chinh’s visit will create an opportunity for Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with the EU and promote the ratification of the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement.
Potential to boost Vietnam-Romania cooperation
Vietnam and Romania established diplomatic relations on February 3, 1950. In its foreign policy, Romania advocates strong relations with Asia-Pacific, with Vietnam being a top priority. Romania’s leaders have repeatedly affirmed that Vietnam is a leading partner in Southeast Asia.
Romania was one of the first three EU members to ratify the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement. Economic and trade relations between Vietnam and Romania have grown steadily. By the end of 2022, Romania had 5 FDI investment projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of 1.56 million USD, ranking Romania 42nd among the countries and territories invested in Vietnam. There are currently 4,000 Vietnamese in Romania working in construction, shipbuilding, garments, and food processing.
Vietnam promotes cooperation with Hungary and Romania
During his visits, Prime Minister Chinh will meet with senior leaders of Hungary and Romania, and visit universities, research centers, and businesses. He will also meet with the Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnamese community in Hungary and Romania.
The Prime Minister's visit will increase political trust and strengthen Vietnam’s traditional friendship and cooperation with Hungary and Romania in economics, trade, labor, culture, education, and human resource training. It will also create an opportunity for Vietnam to enhance relations with Eastern Europe.