Photo: iStock
Ádám Samu Balázs
15/05/2025 06:00
Although our nations are geographically distant, our relations are becoming increasingly dynamic and offer numerous mutually beneficial opportunities. The anniversary provides a timely occasion to reflect on how our partnership has evolved in the shifting landscape of global politics.
Over the past decades, signs of change in the global geopolitical order have repeatedly challenged the relational structures between major world powers. Hungary is among those nations that correctly recognised both the challenges and opportunities offered by the emerging multipolar world order. The Hungarian government announced its Eastern Opening policy in good time, allowing for a swift response in areas such as deepening mutually advantageous trade cooperation and crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to strengthening Hungarian–Vietnamese trade relations, the issue of reciprocal investment remains of key importance for Hungary, as does the intensification of cooperation in science, education, and research.
In our times, those partnerships that have stood the test of difficult periods may gain renewed value. As the Vietnamese saying goes: Lua thu vang, gian nan thu suc – the test of gold is fire, the test of endurance and perseverance is hardship. And we Hungarians say that a friend in need is a friend indeed. On the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Vietnam, we can therefore look with confidence to the next 75 years of our strategic partnership.
Now, as the global agenda is shaped by uncertainty and shifting power dynamics due to the war in Ukraine, the voices of those who belonged to the camp of peace from the very outset — and who stressed that the only way to resolve the conflict is through peace talks and promoting peace as soon as possible — have become particularly valuable. Vietnam has consistently stood for non-intervention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, while actively contributing to humanitarian assistance — just as Hungary has done.
In the emerging multipolar world, it is especially important that both Hungary and Vietnam are committed to international connectivity. We are working to establish ever broader forms of cooperation between our two countries. Hungary’s commitment to deepening ties with Vietnam is rooted in the belief that, in the coming decades, Vietnam will become one of the most balanced and fastest-growing economic powers in Southeast Asia and in the world. Hungary, for its part, aims to maintain a regional middle power position within Central Europe and, instead of bloc formation, seeks to strengthen connectivity and act as a bridge between East and West — a role that also serves to enhance the European Union’s competitiveness.
The 75th anniversary of our bilateral relations offers a timely opportunity to review past encounters and continue high-level exchanges. In addition to the Foreign Minister’s visit, several further high-level visits are expected this year. Beyond strengthening bilateral ties, we are also committed to enhancing our cooperation in the multilateral arena. Key examples of mutually beneficial cooperation include Vietnam’s support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and Hungary’s support for the ratification of the Investment Protection Agreement by EU Member States — an initiative that has also contributed to advancing EU–Vietnam relations, including during Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union last year. The engagement of both Hungary and Vietnam in strengthening ASEAN–EU relations is beneficial to both parties and contributes to regional stability.
Parliamentary relations are also developing intensively. We remember the late MP Árpád János Potápi, who passed away last year and previously served as President of the Hungarian–Vietnamese Friendship Group. He regularly visited Vietnam for decades and greatly contributed to strengthening our bilateral ties — in fact, we travelled together to Hanoi on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations. In 2022, Speaker of the National Assembly László Kövér received the then President of the Vietnamese National Assembly in the Hungarian Parliament. He highlighted that the visit was not only significant for inter-parliamentary cooperation, but also promising in terms of intergovernmental, scientific, and higher education collaboration. During the visit, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Hungarian National Assembly and the Vietnamese National Assembly. Kristóf Szatmáry, the current head of the friendship group, is also highly active in the realm of parliamentary diplomacy. At the beginning of last year, we participated in an official visit to Vietnam alongside Barna Pál Zsigmond, Deputy Minister at the Ministry for European Union Affairs, where strengthening bilateral relations was once again a priority topic. During the visit, the delegation met with Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang; Nguyen Hung Son, Vice President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam; Vu Hai Ha, Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee for Foreign Affairs; Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security; Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Deputy Head of the External Relations Commission; and Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the Vietnam National University. Barna Pál Zsigmond also became the first Hungarian guest lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, where he took part in a roundtable discussion on Hungarian–Vietnamese relations and gave an opening lecture on global challenges ahead and possible joint responses.
We trust that in the years to come, we will continue to hold similarly meaningful and forward-looking meetings, thereby further strengthening the diverse ties between our two countries, as well as the friendship between the Vietnamese and Hungarian peoples.
The author is Head of the Foreign Affairs Secretariat of Fidesz