Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Ministerand Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highlighted the traditional friendship betweenVietnam and Hungary during talks with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairsand Trade, Péter Szijjártó, in Hanoi on October 16.

Minh expressed his belief that the minister’svisit to Vietnam on October 15 and 16 will create new momentum for bilateral ties.

The upgrading of the comprehensive partnershipduring the visit to Hungary by Party General Secretary NguyenPhu Trong in September 2018 has provided a firm foundation for advancing relations,he continued.

For his part, the guest said that Hungary wishes to enhance the comprehensive partnership andspoke highly of Vietnam’s increasingly important role and position in the region.

The two officials expressed pleasure at the active development of bilateralcooperation and agreed on specific orientations and measures to boost relationsin the time ahead.

They spoke highly of coordination and mutual support in elections and candidaciesat major UN agencies and organisations.

The two shared the view that bilateral economic-tradeties have remained stable but are yet to match potential and wishes.

They therefore agreed to encourage and facilitatebusiness links, especially in areas where Hungary possesses strength and Vietnamhas demand, such as water resources exploitation, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals,food processing, renewable energy, manufacturing and processing, defence industry,and infrastructure.

Minh thanked Hungary for supporting the ratificationof the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and for being the first EU membercountry to approve the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

These deals have brought about pratical benefitsto trade and investment links between the two countries and contributed to connectingthe EU and Hungary with ASEAN and Asia-Pacific.

Minh also expressed his appreciationof Hungary’s view of Vietnam as a priority partner in its ODA policy, addingthat a number of ODA projects have generated socio-economic outcomes and contributedpractically to the country’s sustainable development.

The two sides consented to closely coordinatewith each other to push ahead with the disbursement of approved projects using Hungarianpreferential loans within the framework of the financial cooperation agreement worth440 million EUR signed by the two countries in 2017.

They compared notes on orientations to boostpartnerships in other spheres, such as national defence and security, educationand training, health care, agriculture, culture and tourism, natural resourcesand environment, and employment, as well as cooperation between the two foreignministries, covering personnel training.

The officials also exchanged views on regionaland international issues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue./.