Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngô Lê Văn (right) receives Hungarian Ambassador to Việt Nam Baloghdi Tibor in Hà Nội on Thursday. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngô Lê Văn received Hungarian Ambassador to Việt Nam Baloghdi Tibor in Hà Nội on Thursday, discussing measures to further strengthen and deepen bilateral relations.

Văn welcomed the positive developments in the Việt Nam–Hungary Comprehensive Partnership in recent years. He affirmed that amid profound and unpredictable changes in the global situation, Việt Nam has consistently pursued a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations.

Hungary is one of Việt Nam’s leading important partners in Central and Eastern Europe, he said, stressing that Việt Nam attaches importance to and wishes to continuously strengthen multifaceted ties with Hungary.

Praising Tibor’s contributions to promoting the Việt Nam–Hungary Comprehensive Partnership, the Deputy FM asked the ambassador and the Hungarian Embassy to continue working closely with the two foreign ministries to urge and support agencies, ministries and sectors of both sides in implementing high-level commitments and agreements.

He also called on the ambassador and embassy to give advice on specific orientations and measures to build on the countries’ longstanding traditional friendship, as well as tap new strengths and opportunities for cooperation, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of and deepening bilateral ties across all areas, from politics and diplomacy to economy and trade, investment, science and technology, culture, education and training, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Tibor thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its close coordination in recent years. He affirmed that Hungary’s new Government and foreign ministry will continue their policy of attaching importance to and deepening relations with Việt Nam, considering it a priority partner in the region.

He agreed that the two sides should continue efforts to promote the Việt Nam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership and make full use of the coordinating role of the two foreign ministries in the coming period.

The two sides agreed to continue close coordination to arrange and promote exchanges and contacts at all levels, particularly the high level, maintain the deputy ministerial-level political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries, and effectively leverage the Việt Nam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation.

They also agreed to work towards raising bilateral trade to US$2 billion a year, while encouraging businesses of both countries to invest in areas where they have strengths and needs, enabling their economies to complement each other and contributing to greater strategic self-reliance and the long-term, sustainable development interests of both countries.

The two sides underscored that education-training is a traditional area of cooperation with considerable potential. More than 3,000 Vietnamese scientists and experts have been trained in Hungary and are now contributing to Việt Nam’s development while serving as a bridge for promoting the countries’ longstanding friendship.

They agreed to continue effectively implementing the bilateral agreement on scholarships for Vietnamese students and soon discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in this important field, including the training of officials in law and several other specialised areas.

On the occasion, Văn asked Tibor to convey Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung’s greetings and invitation to visit Việt Nam to Hungarian FM Orban Anita. — VNA/VNS