Hungary is seeking opportunities to invest in economic and educational projects in southern Vietnam, said a Hungarian diplomat on August 22.
Addressing at a ceremony celebrating Hungary’s National Day (August 20) in Ho Chi Minh City, Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Vizi Laslo said he is pleased to see that bilateral economic relations are growing strongly without any limit.
President of the city’s Vietnam-Hungary Friendship Chapter Le Minh Triet highlighted recent milestones in friendship and cooperation between the two countries, particularly in trade.
Two-way trade value increased 53 percent to reach 90 million USD in 2007 from the previous year, he noted.
He pinned high hopes on the expanded cooperation in culture, education and science between Vietnam and Hungary, adding that HCM City recently sent 70 students to schools in Budapest and Debrecen.
Triet went on to say that this year’s summer cultural festival in Budapest also saw the participation of an art troupe from Vietnam’s largest economic hub.
During Hungarian President Solyom Laszlo’s visit to Vietnam from May 15-19, the two countries signed a credit agreement worth 35 million Euro to fund Vietnam’s projects on waste water treatment, submergence prevention, and population management.
President of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Union Ho Duc Viet welcomed a delegation from Japan’s Nagasaki province and the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Union on August 22, saying that the visit will help boost the Vietnam-Japan relationship.
He said he wanted Nagasaki province to strengthen its relations with Vietnamese localities, especially central Quang Nam province where Japanese merchants had done business four centuries ago, and assist Vietnam in areas such as nuclear energy, training and healthcare.
Nagasaki Mayor Kaneko Genjiro said the relationship between his province and Vietnam has been expanded to many fields, especially education and healthcare. The Nagasaki University has recently cooperated with the Central Institute of Epidemiology in treating infectious diseases.
The province has also received a large number of Vietnamese students to attend refresher courses, he added.
The Japanese delegation was on a visit to Vietnam to further strengthen the relationship between Nagasaki and Vietnamese localities in the context that the two countries are actively celebrating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
A delegation from the Education and Training Board of the General Political Department of Lao People’s Army is on a visit to Vietnam to exchange experiences in the training work.
During its six-day stay, which began on August 18, Lao guests worked with their colleagues from the Vietnam People’s Army and the High Commands of the Military Zone 3 and Quyet Thang Corps.
The delegation also paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and visited the Military History Museum.
Vietnam and Laos will jointly establish a socio-economic development area and ensure security at the border region between the Lao province of Savannakhet and Vietnamese localities.
An agreement to this effect was signed between the Lao provincial governor Vilayvan and Vietnamese Military Zone 4’s Commander, Doan Sinh Huong who was on a visit to Laos.
State President Nguyen Minh Triet sent a message of condolences to Acting President of Zambia Rupia Banda over the death of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.
The 59-year-old Zambian leader died in France on August 19. He was hit by a stroke while attending an African Union summit in Egypt in June this year.
(Source: VNA) | 
