Among topics at discussion for State Secretary Endre Kardevan at the meeting of the Vietnam-Hungary Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation and later bilateral talks was an increase in Hungarian food exports and especially of pork.

The State Secretary for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Economy of the Ministry of Rural Development discussed the deepening of cooperation, which has existed for decades, on fisheries development and poultry, pig and rabbit breeding with Vietnamese Deputy Minister for Agriculture Diep Kinh Tan. The two statesmen signed a declaration on the deepening of cooperation within the fields of food safety and animal health. The document is a step forward towards increasing the export of Hungarian food products to Vietnam, and the beginning of pork exports. In addition to the declaration of intent, the parties also discussed the animal health export certificates required for the export of poultry and pork.

At the proposal of Vietnam, an agreement was reached allowing our Asian colleagues to become more familiar with the internationally recognised Hungarian agrarian education system in future.

During a meeting of the Water Industry Workgroup and related discussions with Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources Nguyen Thai Lai, both countries reiterated their intent to deepen cooperation within several areas such as water treatment-related technologies, drinking water supply and other areas related to water management. Endre Kardeván invited his Vietnamese counterpart to the World Conference on Water, which will be held in Hungary in 2013 under the auspices of the UN. Hungary also expressed its commitment to deepening the Danube-Mekong cooperation initiative.

(VM sajtóiroda)