National Assembly Vice Chairman Trần Quang Phương and First Officer of the Hungarian National Assembly Márta Mátrai in the meeting at National Assembly Building in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — Photo courtesy of the National Assembly of Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly Vice Chairman Trần Quang Phương and First Officer of the Hungarian National Assembly Márta Mátrai co-chaired the fifth legislative conference on strengthening parliamentary supervision of bilateral cooperation agreements between the two countries, in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Both sides highlighted parliamentary cooperation as a bright spot in the two countries' overall relationship, adding that the cooperation agreement signed by the two legislatures last June has laid an important foundation to further deepen parliamentary ties, which is also instrumental in fostering political trust and mutual understanding.

Việt Nam and Hungary currently have a robust framework of cooperation, with 48 international treaties currently in effect, one pending ratification, and 49 valid international agreements.

The 48 treaties, signed between the two States and Governments under various names such as agreement, protocol and memorandum of understanding, cover various subjects across multiple fields, such as visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and official passports, investment promotion and protection, double taxation avoidance, prevention of income tax evasion, and cooperation in plant quarantine and protection, sci-tech, engineering, finance, culture, education, State management, agriculture and justice.

The 49 international agreements, signed by the Vietnamese and Hungarian ministries, agencies and local authorities, further solidify coordination in specific sectors like agriculture, tourism, postal services, broadcasting, information technology and communications, sports, education and healthcare.

Mátrai said the two legislatures will independently conduct supervision of the implementation of bilateral treaties and agreements and report outcomes at the next forum. She suggested that the two sides agree on concrete contents and focus and priorities of supervision with an aim to improve the effectiveness of implementing bilateral treaties and agreements.

Phương proposed that the two legislatures can assign their committees of external affairs to review the signed agreements and treaties to identify the most crucial issues that require oversight, then report to their parliament leaders. — VNS