Budapest (VNA) – The Vietnam-Hungary comprehensive partnership has grown soundly across various sectors, with the countries’ parliamentary cooperation thriving on both bilateral and multilateral fronts, stated Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Quang Phuong at his recent talks with Márta Mátrai, First Deputy of the Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, in Budapest.

The Vietnamese legislator took the occasion to propose both sides maintain exchanges of high-level delegations and specialised committees, enhance mutual cooperation and support at multilateral forums, and coordinate the implementation of agreements signed between the two parliaments during the visit of Vietnamese NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to Hungary in 2022.

The two NA’s joint organisation of legislative workshops is an effective and practical mechanism that needs to be further leveraged, Phuong said.

On the Hungarian side, Mátrai stated Vietnam stands as Hungary's foremost important partner in Southeast Asia.

Hungary, situated at the heart of Europe with flexible legal frameworks, hopes to receive more investment cooperation from Vietnam, she noted.

The senior officials exchanged views on mutual concerns, with Phuong expressing a wish for the Hungarian government to support the recognition of the Vietnamese expat community, which numbers around 6,000, as an ethnic minority of the country.

As part of his trip to Hungary from April 1-3, the NA vice chairman paid a courtesy call to the speaker of the Hungarian NA, László Kövér, who affirmed that the relationship between the two NAs is one of special importance, characterised by frequent and effective delegation exchanges as well as the maintenance of a legislative dialogue mechanism for experience exchanges.

Phuong told Kövér that Vietnam wants to enhance multifaceted cooperation with Hungary, the country’s traditional friend and first and only comprehensive partner in the Central Eastern European region.

He expressed his hope for both sides to continue stepping up engagements at all levels through the party, government and parliamentary channels as well as people-to-people exchanges, to further strengthen mutual political trust and understanding.

He also conveyed an invitation from NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to welcome the Hungarian NA speaker to visit Vietnam at the earliest opportunity.

While in Hungary, Phuong also met with the chairpersons of the Hungary-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and the Hungary-Vietnam Friendship Association, visited the Vietnamese Embassy, and met with representatives of some prominent associations.

At these meetings, he shared his hope to continue maintaining exchanges between the friendship parliamentarians' groups for better mutual understanding and parliamentary cooperation in the time to come. The NA Vice Chairman also affirmed that people-to-people exchanges are an important diplomatic channel, contributing to fostering bilateral friendship./.