75 years of Viet Nam-Hungary relations: From the slogan “We are with you, Viet Nam” to a constantly growing Comprehensive Partnership

Viet Nam – Hungary: Outstanding milestones over the past 75 years of diplomatic relationship

Right after the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam) was born in 1945, Hungary was one of the first countries in the world to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam (February 3, 1950). President Ho Chi Minh is the one who laid the foundation for the traditional friendly relationship between Viet Nam and Hungary. Since then, the bilateral relations have continuously developed, and made many significant achievements.

The two countries’ 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 the country of Viet Nam and in the current period of renovation and national construction.  

Hungary has provided very significant and valuable aid to North Viet Nam through donation movements to support Viet Nam, helping Viet Nam train many military students, experts, engineers, and doctors who later have become leading experts in relevant industries to serve the national construction. 

During Viet Nam’s struggle for the reunification, Hungary continued to support Viet Nam with practical actions, such as supportive articles, telegrams of sympathy for Viet Mam, marches and demonstrations against the war, calling for peace for Viet Nam… The slogan “We are with you, Viet Nam” was popular in political life in Hungary at that time and is still deeply engraved in the memories of many Hungarians and Vietnamese people today.

The Party, State and people of Viet Nam always remember and are grateful for this very valuable and effective help from the people and government of Hungary. Currently, despite the geographical distance and changes in the world, the Party, Government and people of Viet Nam always value and wish to further develop this traditional friendship.  

Among Viet Nam’s traditional friends in the Central Eastern European region, Viet Nam always considers Hungary one of its most important partners. This is clearly demonstrated through the visit of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong in 2018, when the two countries announced a Joint Declaration to upgrade bilateral relations to Comprehensive Partnership, making Hungary the first Central Eastern European country to be a Comprehensive Partner of Viet Nam. 

Since then, the two countries have maintained high-level visits to enhance political trust and mutual understanding. In addition, the two countries have signed many cooperation documents in various fields. Notably, our Party and the ruling Fidesz party (Hungarian Civic Alliance) in Hungary signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation between the two Parties in 2017, contributing to creating a solid political foundation for relations between the countries.

In addition, regular and periodic exchange mechanisms between the two countries such as political consultations at the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs level, meetings of the Viet Nam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation are promoted, and people-to-people exchange, cultural, sports and tourism cooperation activities are vibrant and rich.    

Measures implemented to promote the Comprehensive Partnership in 2024 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Hungary 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.  

Looking back one year after this important visit, despite of many complicated developments in the world and the European region, two-way trade is still growing, Viet Nam continued to be Hungary’s leading trading partner in ASEAN. 

Two-way trade turnover between Viet Nam and Hungary in 2024 reached 932 million USD; Hungary’s FDI into Viet Nam recorded 72.36 million USD, ranking 54th out of 147 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam has invested in Hungary in 2 projects with a total capital of 5.8 million USD and currently a large investment project in Hungary worth more than 80 million USD is in the stage of application for an investment license.

In the political-diplomatic field, the two sides continue to increase the exchange of high-level delegations following the Prime Minister’s visit, such as the visit to Hungary by National Assembly Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong (April 2024), the visit to Viet Nam by the Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Matrai Marta (April 2024), as well as many delegations at the level of Deputy Ministers of Ministries, Departments, branches and localities of Viet Nam to Hungary.

Cooperation in the field of education and training continues to be a bright spot. Every year, Hungary provides up to 200 Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships to Vietnamese students, and currently many Vietnamese pursue their study in Hungary as self-funded students. The Memoranda of Understanding (10 MOUs) signed between the universities of the two countries during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Hungary were implemented effectively.

Other fields of cooperation such as culture, sports and tourism, justice, agriculture, health, natural resources and environment… had very positive developments with many quality and effective activities.

The two countries effectively coordinated and supported each other at multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, ASEM, and ASEAN-EU. Especially, during Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the last 6 months of 2024, Hungary always expressed support for Viet Nam in lobbying the remaining EU countries to ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the European Commission to soon remove the yellow card for Vietnamese seafood products.

New economic opportunities 

With the foundation of the long-standing traditional friendship between the two countries and the framework of Comprehensive Partnership, Hungary’s Look East policy as well as Viet Nam’s foreign policy of multilateralization, diversification, and intensive international integration, with focus on international economic integration, the two countries have become “bridges” connecting the two regions of Europe and Southeast Asia. These important guidelines and policies, along with EVFTA, have created conditions to expand economic cooperation opportunities for the two countries.

In 2024, the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary and the Trade Office organized many trade promotion activities with positive results such as bringing ST25 rice into the Hungarian market through local major distribution channels. The Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary has also facilitated and organized many working delegations of ministries, branches as well as Vietnamese businesses to visit Hungary to find partners, business and business opportunities in fields of digital economy, green economy.

The delegations have gained many valuable information and experiences, and built relationships with many partners in fields such as water resource management, smart agriculture development using AI, development of renewable energy, solar energy, green economy, digital economy.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary and the Trade Office also organized a large business delegation of 37 Hungarian companies, distributors and retailers to come to Viet Nam to explore the market and cooperate with partners to attend Viet Nam International Sourcing Expo 2024. Through this connection activity, many Hungarian businesses have found suitable partners.

Aspirations for future 

Viet Nam-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.

Senior leaders of the two countries have built a high level of political trust. The Vietnamese community in Hungary has made many positive contributions to Hungary’s socio-economic development and has played a good role as a bridge, creating a solid social foundation for good friendly relations between the two peoples. With such a rich history of relations, it is highly expected that Viet Nam-Hungary relations will witness stronger, more comprehensive and deeper developments, in accordance with the wishes of the Leaders and the aspirations of people of the two countries.

In this year, the two countries will organize 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 Viet Nam. On the Vietnamese side, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son will visit Hungary. In addition, there are many delegations at the level of Deputy Ministers from ministries, branches and localities of Viet Nam scheduled to visit Hungary. In addition, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Hungary also plans to organize many activities to practically celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

It is strongly believed that these visits and activities will contribute to further strengthening political trust, mutual understanding as well as exchanges between the people of the two countries, creating new, positive and more effective steps for Viet Nam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership in the near future.