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| In 2004, President Trần Đức Lương and his Hungarian counterpart Ferenc Mádl witnessed the signing of a joint statement and economic cooperation agreement between the two countries. — VNA/VNS File Photo |
HÀ NỘI — The official visit to Việt Nam by Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér from October 18 – 22 not only demonstrates the mutual respect between the two nations but also reaffirms the commitment of their senior leaders to further deepen the comprehensive partnership, making bilateral ties increasingly substantive and effective.
The visit comes as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950 – 2025) and just five months after Hungarian President Sulyok Tamas’s visit to Việt Nam in May.
75 years of trusted friendship and close ties
Việt Nam and Hungary officially established diplomatic relations on February 3, 1950, and elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership in September 2018.
In recent years, political and diplomatic relations have developed strongly based on mutual trust and understanding, with regular exchanges of delegations at all levels, including those between the sides’ parties, governments, national assemblies, and localities.
The growing political trust between the two countries has provided a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in other areas, especially economy and trade. Hungary has actively supported the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and was the first EU member state to approve the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
Hungary is one of Việt Nam’s potential markets in Central and Eastern Europe, while Việt Nam serves as a key Asian partner and Hungary’s leading trading partner in Southeast Asia. Bilateral trade reached over US$900 million in 2024, up 7.3 per cent year-on-year, and $758.3 million in the first nine months of 2025.
Traditional cooperation areas such as culture, education, sports, tourism, labour, science and technology, environment, agriculture, and water management have also been actively promoted. The two countries closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Parliamentary cooperation increasingly strengthened
The first inter-parliamentary cooperation agreement between Việt Nam and Hungary was signed in 2017 and renewed in 2022, establishing a stable legal and institutional framework for collaboration. The agreement has enabled the two sides to share legislative experience, oversight practices, and policy-making approaches, thereby enhancing mutual understanding and trust between their legislative bodies.
The National Assemblies (NAs) of Việt Nam and Hungary have pledged to increase high-level and committee-level exchanges, jointly organise seminars and policy dialogues, and share experiences involving institutional improvement, rule-of-law state building, and sustainable development.
Both sides also maintain close coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and forums in the Asia–Europe region, ensuring their legislatures’ voices are heard on major international issues and supporting each other at multilateral platforms, thereby enhancing the standing of both Việt Nam and Hungary.
Deepening comprehensive partnership through parliamentary diplomacy
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bùi Lê Thái, the visit offers an opportunity for both sides to review the outcomes of bilateral cooperation and discuss comprehensive measures to enhance ties in areas ranging from politics, diplomacy, economy, trade, culture, and education to science-technology and parliamentary cooperation – a key pillar of the overall relationship.
During the visit, the two NAs are expected to engage in in-depth discussions on legislative, oversight, and policy-making practices, strengthen coordination in regional and international parliamentary forums, and foster exchanges between specialised committees and friendship parliamentary groups.
The two sides will also review the implementation of cooperation agreements, including the 2022 parliamentary deal, and define new directions suitable to current global and domestic developments, aligning with the development priorities of both countries.
Sharing this perspective, Hungarian Ambassador to Việt Nam Tibor Baloghdi said the official visit reflects the shared commitment of both countries to further elevate bilateral relations through parliamentary diplomacy and closer coordination between relevant agencies. The Hungarian NA attaches great importance to enhancing ties with the Vietnamese NA, considering the ties a solid pillar of the political relationship between the two countries. — VNS