Minister Nguyen Chi Dung works with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations (17/10/2020-10:00:00 AM)

(MPI) - On October 16th, 2020, at the head office of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung worked with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economy Szijjártó Péter and the delegation during their business trip in Vietnam.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Szijjártó Péter thanked Minister Nguyen Chi Dung for taking the time to receive the delegation, and informed that he had talks with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh on the morning of October 16^th, 2020 to discuss issues related to binding credit, which is the most effective field of cooperation between the two countries and hoped to continue discussion with Minister Nguyen Chi Dung about this problem.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung highly appreciated the visit and working session of Minister Szijjártó Péter, and stated that the two countries have had a long traditional relationship.Vietnam always attaches great importance to its cooperation with Hungary, an important partner of Vietnam in the EU.Hungary has helped Vietnam in the fight for national liberation as well as in the current period.The two countries have a very good political and cultural relationship, but the investment and trade cooperation is still modest compared to the potentials and advantages of the two countries. Two-way trade between the two countries is less than 800 million EUR. Direct investment from Hungarian businesses in Vietnam is also humble.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung greatly respected Hungarian support in recent years.Regarding the Cancer Hospital project in Can Tho city, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will continue to work closely with the Hungarian Embassy in Vietnam and the People's Committee of Can Tho city to speed up the implementation to complete the project as quickly as possible and bring into full play the effect of becoming a symbol of cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Szijjártó Péter said that the Financial Cooperation Framework Agreement between the two countries worth 440 million EUR was signed in January 2017 and came into effect in June 2017 to finance projects in various fields. Priority is agreed by the two parties including health, environmental protection, response to climate change, water supply and drainage, public administration, agricultural infrastructure, education, vocational training. In which, 5 projects with a total value of over 150 million EUR whose proposals for approval have been approved by the Government include Project on household water supply in Quang Trach district, Quang Binh province phase 2,Project on wastewater treatment in Vinh Long province,Project on construction of raw water route in Thanh Hoa province,Project on hospital construction in Tuyen Quang province (Kim Xuyen),Project to build Hai Duong Obstetrics Hospital.Hungary is ready to implement these projects and hopes that the Government of Vietnam to have early official confirmation to start implementing all 5 projects.

Minister Szijjártó Péter also wanted the two countries to promote investment cooperation in the agricultural sector, which is a strong area of ​​Hungary.Hungary's processing technology is also attached great importance. The Hungarian seed production ranks 6^th in the world with products meeting top food safety standards.Hungary is ready to cooperate in agriculture, especially industrial adoption in farming and animal husbandry.

Minister Nguyen Chi Dung agreed with the information shared by Minister Szijjártó Péter and said that agriculture was an important area for Vietnam, especially food safety, plant varieties and livestock, creation and retaining of cultivars for agricultural development in Vietnam.He also emphasized that the Ministry of Planning and Investment would work closely with the Hungarian Embassy in Vietnam and localities to speed up progress of the 5 projects set in the bilateral Financial Cooperation Framework Agreement./.

Ministry of Planning and Investment