Peter Szijjarto: Hungarian Success in Laos

A wastewater treatment plant built from a Hungarian tied aid has been inaugurated in the capital of Laos, enabling cutting edge Hungarian technology companies to help local residents live in better hygienic and health conditions, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced in Vientiane on Wednesday.

Peter Szijjarto in Laos (Source: Facebook)

Peter Szijjarto attended the inauguration ceremony of a wastewater treatment plant built from Hungarian tied aid, according to the ministry's statement. At the ceremony, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade highlighted that the plant is a milestone in the history of Hungarian development projects in Laos. It is the largest program implemented so far, with a total value of approximately 90 million US dollars.

Peter Szijjarto (Photo: MTI)

He underlined that the facility, together with its associated sewer network, has a daily capacity of 52,000 cubic meters, and will treat the wastewater of 160,000 people, covering four of the capital’s nine districts.

Thanks to this project, we will be able to protect the environment, safeguard their waters and rivers, and further improve health and hygiene conditions,

he said.

The project will help people living in the Laotian capital to enjoy better hygienic and health conditions. We are proud to have contributed to this noble goal, and we are ready to continue this excellent cooperation between our two countries,

he added.

He emphasized that the foundation of the excellent practical cooperation between the two countries has been laid by tied aid agreements concluded so far worth a total of 213 million US dollars, the first of which was signed seventeen years ago.

Within this framework, cutting edge Hungarian technologies have contributed to Laos’s modernization and development in several key areas: agriculture, food processing, fisheries, water management, and electronic public administration.

These projects have not only enabled Laos’s development and the improvement of people’s living conditions, but have also contributed to the international market success of Hungarian companies. This is therefore clearly a win-win situation for all parties,

he stressed.

Peter Szijjarto pointed out that several projects have already been successfully completed. Hungarian companies have built livestock facilities, two investments have been carried out in the field of food safety, and an electronic identification and registration system has been completed to modernize local public administration. Recently, a water purification plant was also inaugurated, which now provides services for a quarter of a million people.

He said that discussions are also underway on how Hungarian technology and expertise could be used to create the country’s electronic land registry system.

These six successful projects are the best proof of why it is worth continuing cooperation based on tied aid agreements between the two countries,

 he said.

This fantastic result provides an excellent basis for the further deepening of cooperation between our countries. Last year, bilateral trade turnover broke all previous records, and we are currently approaching the negotiation and signing of an agreement on the mutual protection of investments,

 he added.

The Foreign Minister then addressed ongoing global changes and the emerging new world order, noting that in such times, stable bilateral intergovernmental cooperation based on mutual respect and trust has become extremely valuable.

The relationship and cooperation between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Hungary is such a partnership. It is a stable alliance based on long-standing traditions, mutual respect, and mutual benefits,

he said.

He also added that the two countries share identical positions on the most important issue, as they are peace-loving nations and governments that are ready to stand up for peace worldwide.

He also noted that more than 600 Laotian students applied for Hungarian higher education scholarships last year, which, in his words, clearly demonstrates the intention of the two peoples to work together more closely. This is also reflected in the fact that Budapest and Vientiane have become twin cities, and a similar step is being prepared between the Hungarian town of Nyiregyhaza and the Laotian city of Pakse.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)