Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Hungaryfrom January 18 to 20 will create breakthroughs and impetus for the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, said Vietnamese Ambassador to theEuropean nation Nguyen Thi Bich Thao.

The PM,his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam will pay the officialvisit at the invitation of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, following theirattendance in the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF)in Davos, Switzerland.

In arecent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Thao said the trip takesplace as the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation betweenVietnam and Hungary have been growing well for nearly 75 years. This will bethe first time the two PMs held talks since their countries lifted bilateralties to the comprehensive partnership in 2018.

Despite numerous difficulties, uncertainties, and risks inthe world, with senior leaders’ very high political resolve, the visit willfurther tighten the political trust, create breakthroughs andimpetus for the comprehensive partnership, and especially foster ties in investment,economy, trade, science - technology, education, digital transformation, andgreen transition to generate practical benefits for both peoples, she remarked.

The ambassador went on to say that during the three-dayvisit, PM Chinh is scheduled to engage in 15 activities. In particular, the twoPMs will witness the signing of cooperation documents in the fields ofdiplomacy, culture, water management, and crime, along with 10 othersbetween Vietnamese and Hungarian universities. They will attend a businessforum with a view to fostering bilateral economic, trade, and investment links.

PM Chinh and the delegation ofVietnam will also visit and have meetings with some Hungarian enterprises operatingin such key industries as the pharmaceutical sector. The Government leader is set to deliveran important speech on Vietnam’s foreign policy and relations between the two countries at the National University of Public Service of Hungary. In addition,he will visit the Vietnamese Embassy and meet representatives of Vietnamese people there.

Highlighting some majorachievements in bilateral economic, trade, and investment ties, Thao noted thatimplementing its “Look East” policy, Hungary has attached importanceto relations with Vietnam, one of its important partners in Southeast Asia,and also supported Vietnam’s enhancement of connections with the EU. In particular,Hungary was one of the first to ratify the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)and Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), helping bilateral economic andtrade links to progress over the recent past.

Thanks to these two deals,Vietnam has become a bridge for goods from Europe, including Hungary, to enterASEAN and vice versa. Since the signing of theEVFTA, trade between the two countries has grown by a record of 33%, from 354million USD in 2017 to over 1.2 billion USD in 2022 despite impacts of theCOVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, braving regional and global economic difficultiesand an economic recession in Hungary, bilateral trade still reached some 900million USD, she noted.

Meanwhile, she added, Hungary’s investment in Vietnam remainsstable with 22 projects worth 72.28 million USD in total, ranking 51st amongthe 143 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country.

The diplomatheld that there remains huge potential for Vietnam - Hungary cooperation,especially when it has been promoted via frequent meetings between theleaders of the two countries, thereby contributing to the Vietnam - EU relations.

As Hungaryis about to hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU in the lasthalf of 2024, during which it will focus on economic recovery, PM Chinh’s visitwill help tackle bottlenecks and step up Vietnam’s trade and investment linkswith the EU via Hungary, according to Ambassador Thao./.