General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Sept. 10, 2018. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said here on Monday that his country and Vietnam "are bringing bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership." (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said here on Monday that his country and Vietnam "are bringing bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership".

At a joint press conference with visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong after a meeting, Orban called Vietnam one of the most successful countries in the region of Southeast Asian.

"The development of tourism opportunities, encouraging investments and a scholarship program for 200 Vietnamese students in Hungary were among the topics discussed at the meeting," Orban added.

It is in Hungary's interest for free trade talks between the European Union and Vietnam to wind up as soon as possible, producing real free trade between the two sides, Orban said.

The Hungarian leader also noted that Hungary launched an aid program with Vietnam worth some 500 million euros (579 million U.S. dollars) in 2016, which allows Hungary to participate in supporting developments in healthcare, education, water management and farming sectors in Vietnam, he added.

For his part, the Vietnamese leader said the talks were highly productive, adding that Vietnam views Hungary as a key strategic partner.

"The talks were friendly, open, and based on mutual trust," he said, adding that if an area needed enhancement, it was to make the investment environment for both countries more simple and more effective.

He sincerely thanked Hungary for its assistance in rebuilding his country and praised Hungary's cooperation with Vietnam within the frame of the different international organisations.

Vietnam supports Hungary's expanded cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he added, stressing the importance of Hungary's support for cooperation between the EU and Vietnam, too.

The two countries also signed bilateral agreements on cooperation on civil rights assistance, defense, healthcare, education and water management in the presence of Orban and Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as different members of the Hungarian cabinet.