75 years of bilateral relations, from the slogan 'We are with you, Vietnam' to a growing Comprehensive Partnership
After the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born in 1945, Hungary was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations, on February 3, 1950. It was President Ho Chi Minh who laid the foundation for the friendly relationship between what is now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Hungary. Since then, bilateral relations have continuously developed, with many significant achievements.
This year, 2025, will see the two countries organise many activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The President and Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary are expected to visit Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will visit Hungary. Many delegations at the level of Deputy Ministers from ministries, branches and localities of Vietnam are scheduled to visit Hungary and the Embassy of Vietnam in Hungary plans to organise many celebrations.
The embassy in Budapest anticipates that these activities will further strengthen political trust, mutual understanding and exchanges between the people of the two countries, creating new, positive and more effective steps for the bilateral partnership.The embassy says the relationship is built on a foundation of deep political trust, empathy, sincere sentiment and mutual understanding, which have been maintained and nurtured throughout the past period of struggle for national liberation and reunification of Vietnam and in the current period of renovation and national construction.
Hungary has provided significant and valuable aid to North Vietnam through donations that help train many military students, experts, engineers and doctors who later have become leading experts in relevant industries.
During Vietnam's struggle for reunification, Hungary continued to offer support by practical actions such as supportive articles, telegrams of sympathy, marches and demonstrations against the war, calling for peace. The slogan 'We are with you, Vietnam' was popular in political life in Hungary at that time and remains in the memories of many Hungarians and Vietnamese people today.
The Party, State and citizens remember and are grateful for this valuable and effective help from Hungary. Currently, despite the geographical distance and changes in the world, Vietnam values and wishes to further develop this traditional friendship.
When the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, visited Hungary in 2018, a Joint Declaration to upgrade bilateral relations to Comprehensive Partnership was declared, making Hungary the first Central Eastern European country to have such a partnership with Vietnam.
Since then, other high-level visits have enhanced political trust and mutual understanding, with many cooperation documents in various fields. Notably, the Communist Party and Fidesz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation between them in 2017.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Hungary in early 2024 created a strong spillover effect at all levels and sectors of both countries, forming a new momentum to promote cooperative relations in all fields. Since then, two-way trade has grown, with Vietnam continuing to be Hungary's leading trading partner in ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Two-way trade turnover in 2024 reached USD 932 million. Hungary's foreign direct investment into Vietnam recorded USD 72.36 million, ranking 54th out of 147 countries and territories investing in the Asian nation.
Vietnam has invested in Hungary in two projects with a total capital of USD 5.8 million and currently is applying for an investment licence for a project in Hungary worth more than USD 80 million.
Cooperation in education and training continues to be a bright spot. Every year, Hungary provides up to 200 Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships to Vietnamese students, and many Vietnamese pursue their study in Hungary as self-funded students. Other fields of cooperation such as culture, sports and tourism, justice, agriculture, health, natural resources and environment have positive developments.
Vietnam-Hungary relations have gone through a history of 75 years of friendship, cooperation and development. The two countries always share aspirations for peace and progress, mutual support and close coordination in international forums, especially at the United Nations, and have now become comprehensive partners of each other.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Budapest Times
5 days ago
- Budapest Times
Hankó: Government values all Hungarian talent
Balázs Hankó, the minister for culture and innovation, said the Hungarian government values all Hungarian talent and is committed to running a talent management system that supports and improves Hungarian talent around the world. Speaking at the 'Talent's Talk 2025' event in Vienna, Minister Hankó said the government has allocated 400 million forints (EUR 990,000) for the next academic year's Stipendium Peregrinum scholarship scheme for Hungarian students who have applied to the world's best universities. Meanwhile, Minister Hankó said the Pannonia scholarship programme has given more than 3,000 young Hungarians the chance to gain experience at Europe's and the world's leading universities over the past semester. The government has also increased funding for young Hungarian researchers this year to 40 billion forints from 19 billion, the minister said. He noted that Hungary's aim is to have a university among the world's top 100 institutions by 2030, and for Hungary to be among the ten most innovative countries in the European Union.
Budapest Times
6 days ago
- Budapest Times
Over 1.6 million votes submitted in Voks 2025 on Ukraine's accession to EU
Balázs Hidvéghi, State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office, said on Friday that the number of votes submitted in the Voks 2025 referendum on Ukraine's accession to the European Union has exceeded 1.6 million. Hidvéghi said on Facebook that 'the intention to vote is steeply increasing, but the pressure on our country to give in concerning Ukraine is also growing'. 'Neither Brussels, nor Kyiv, nor their servants here want Hungarians to be able to freely decide in the matter,' he added. 'We still insist on having the right to decide, and nobody can take away that right from us,' Hidvéghi said. He said the referendum would continue until June 20 and encouraged everyone to cast their vote.
Budapest Times
7 days ago
- Budapest Times
Hungarian government to provide aid to Praid and every Hungarian living there
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the Hungarian government will provide exhaustive aid 'not only to Praid [Parajd in Transylvania] but to all the Hungarians living there'. 'Praid is a part of Hungarians' national identity,' PM Orbán said in an interview with public radio on Friday in connection with the recent natural disaster that hit Praid's salt mines. 'They love the place as their own; it almost belongs to us… What happens there feels as if it happened to us. It's painful,' he said, adding that many people stood ready to help in the aftermath of the disaster. 'But for now, the situation is very difficult, almost hopeless,' he said. In addition to the disaster in Praid, floods in the Haromszek region had created a serious situation and 'Hungarians there will also need help', he said. Meanwhile, PM Orbán said Romania's ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ party was 'a well-organised, strong party which promotes Hungarian interests, not only politically but economically, too.' He said he was in contact with RMDSZ leader Hunor Kelemen and had promised all the aid necessary.
