The Vietnam - Hungary Friendship Association Central Committee held a meeting in Hanoi on August 29 to celebrate Hungary’s National Day (August 20) and Vietnam’s National Day (September 2) in the presence of Hungarian Ambassador Vizi Lazlo.

Addressing the function, the association’s President Nguyen Dang Vang stressed that Vietnamese people, who have studied and worked in Hungary or who currently live there, have been actively contributing to cooperation between the two countries, especially in economics, culture, science and education.

Hungary provides Vietnam with about 500,000 EUR in non-refundable aid each year to carry out projects in the natural sciences, medicine, agriculture and technology.

There has been a constant increase in two-way trade between Vietnam and Hungary, from US$38.4 million in 2004 to US$90.57 million in 2007 and about US$100 million in 2008.

As many as 4,000 Vietnamese people are currently studying and living in Hungary. Another 4,000 people have lived there in the past, with most of them being scientific experts at various levels.