Hungarian National Assembly Speaker László Kövér has expressed his desire to further enhance parliamentary cooperation between Hungary and Vietnam, particularly in sharing legislative experience.
He made this statement during a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bui Le Thai on February 27.
Kövér noted that Hungary-Vietnam relations have witnessed significant developments across various fields in recent years, especially since the two national assemblies signed their first cooperation agreement in 2017, followed by the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2018.
He proposed several measures to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, including boosting trade, investment, education, local-level partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges. He reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to closely coordinating with the Vietnamese National Assembly in overseeing the implementation of bilateral agreements and cooperation at multilateral forums.
The Hungarian Speaker congratulated Ambassador Thai on his appointment and assured him that Hungary’s National Assembly, government, and relevant agencies will provide all necessary support for him to successfully fulfil his duties.
During the meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat highlighted key milestones in bilateral relations over the past 75 years, particularly since the elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2018. He emphasised the notable progress across all areas of cooperation, especially following Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Hungary in January 2024 and First Officer of the Hungarian National Assembly Márta Mátrai’s visit to Vietnam in April 2024.
Thai urged the Hungarian National Assembly to enhance oversight and expedite the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two governments, particularly the parliamentary cooperation agreement signed during the Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman’s visit to Hungary in June 2022. He expressed his hope that both legislatures will continue exchanging delegations among specialised agencies and friendship parliamentary groups, while also sharing legislative expertise with Vietnam.
The Vietnamese diplomat thanked Hungary’s National Assembly and government for supporting the Vietnamese community in Hungary, enabling them to integrate and contribute to local society. He proposed that Hungary consider officially recognising the Vietnamese community as its 14th ethnic minority group, which would facilitate their full and comprehensive integration and allow them to contribute even more to the development of the host country.
Additionally, Thai expressed gratitude to Hungary for being one of the first European Union (EU) member states to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He called on Hungary’s National Assembly and government to advocate for the remaining EU countries to ratify EVIPA and to urge the European Commission (EC) to lift the "yellow card" imposed on Vietnam’s seafood exports.
On this occasion, Ambassador Thai conveyed an invitation from the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly to speaker Kövér to visit Vietnam at a convenient time. The Hungarian speaker gladly accepted the invitation and confirmed that he will visit Vietnam this year./.
