National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) welcomes Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian NA Jakab Istvan in Hanoi on January 17 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen ThiKim Ngan has called for the Hungarian parliament’s support to speed up theapproval of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), thus openingup new cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and members of the EU,including Hungary.
Receiving Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian NA Jakab Istvan in Hanoi onJanuary 17, the top Vietnamese legislator highlighted that Vietnam and Hungaryhave shared a traditional multifaceted partnership for nearly 70 years.
Vietnam always remembers the valuable and effective support of Hungaryduring its national defence and construction process, she said, noting that thousandsof Vietnamese officials and engineers were trained in Hungary and came back toexemplify strong performances at home.
She pledged that Vietnam is willing to serve as a gateway for Hungary toaccess the 600 million-strong ASEAN market.
For his part, Istvan said that the visit aims to share legislativeexperiences with Vietnam and promote further partnership between the twoparliaments.
The Hungarian Deputy Speaker affirmed that Hungary has always supportedthe EVFTA from the start to the signing and approval.
Congratulating Vietnam on its socio-economic development achievements andhigh GDP growth, Istvan said that Hungary is keen on boosting ties withVietnam, especially in economy, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
Currently, about 200 Vietnamese students come to study in Hungary eachyear and they act as important factors for the development of bilateralfriendship, he noted.
The Deputy Speaker said that Hungary has tackled all obstacles so that thecooperation framework on a credit package, worth nearly 60 million EUR, will beready to take effect in early 2019 and the construction of the Can Tho tumourhospital can be started.
Ngan said that this is a joint project of humanitarian significance,meeting the demand of 20 million people in the Mekong Delta region.
She expressed her delight that during the Hungarian delegation’s visit,the two sides will hold a seminar on sustainable agricultural development andfood safety, which is a good chance for parliamentarians and experts of bothsides to share experience not only in legislation, but also on such practicalissues.–VNA
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