The visit of the Ho Chi Minh City delegation to Hungary aims to enhance the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries, especially as they recently celebrated five years of the Comprehensive Partnership (2018-2023) and are approaching the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950-2025).
The delegation included Mr. Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Propaganda and Education Board of the HCMC Party Committee; Ms. Nguyen Thi Bach Mai, Permanent Deputy Head of the Mass Mobilization Board of the HCMC Party Committee; Mr. Huynh Thanh Nhan, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Council; and Mr. Duong Anh Duc, Secretary of the District 1 Party Committee.
At the beginning of their visit to Hungary, the delegation laid flowers at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Zalaegerszeg.
Mr. Kiss Ferenc, Acting President of the Hungarian Socialist Party, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Ambassador of Vietnam to Hungary, participated in the ceremony.
During the ceremony, the delegation respectfully offered flowers to President Ho Chi Minh, expressing their deep gratitude to him—a national hero of liberation, an eminent cultural figure of Vietnam, a great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution, a beloved leader of the working class and the entire Vietnamese nation, an outstanding warrior, and a distinguished figure in the international communist and national liberation movements.
After the flower-laying ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, thanked Mr. Kiss Ferenc, Acting President of the Hungarian Socialist Party, for Hungary's invaluable support during Vietnam’s struggle for independence and unification, as well as in the country’s ongoing development efforts.
Hungary was among the first ten countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the early 1950s. Between 1973 and 1975, hundreds of Hungarian officers, diplomats, and civilians worked tirelessly to fulfill their mission with the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) for the Paris Peace Accords, contributing to peacekeeping efforts in Vietnam.
Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai expressed his gratitude for the Hungarian Socialist Party’s dedication to maintaining and preserving the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Hungary.
“For 48 years, the statue of President Ho Chi Minh has been carefully maintained by the Hungarian Socialist Party, the people of Zalaegerszeg, and Vietnam’s close friends. It has withstood the test of time and remains a symbol of the enduring friendship and strong bond between Vietnam and Hungary,” Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai said.
Mr. Nguyen Ho Hai also emphasized that the HCMC Party Committee and government are eager to deepen the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries, leverage each side’s strengths, and contribute to mutual development based on solidarity, shared viewpoints on international issues, and common interests in national development.
Mr. Kiss Ferenc, Acting President of the Hungarian Socialist Party, expressed his joy and emotion when welcoming the HCMC delegation. He highlighted that President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to Hungary in 1957 established a strong foundation for the enduring friendship between the two nations. Mr. Kiss Ferenc expressed confidence that the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries will continue to grow and expand across all areas.
The statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Zalaegerszeg is located about 240 km West of Budapest. Created by the renowned Hungarian sculptor Marton Laszlo (1925-2008) in 1976, the statue portrays President Ho Chi Minh in a simple yet vivid and soulful manner. The base of the statue features the famous quote from President Ho Chi Minh: “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.”
Unveiled on the first anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification (April 30, 1976), Marton Laszlo’s statue won an award from the Hungarian Ministry of Culture in 1977 and has become an important cultural symbol in Zalaegerszeg.
