Diplomatic Relations
- Diplomatic relation established with Laos on 12 September 1962
- Hungarian embassy in Vientiane between 1975-1991
- Head of Mission in Bangkok accredited to Laos since 2012 (earlier in Hanoi)
- Independent Lao embassy in Budapest between 1987-1993
- Accredited Lao ambassador in Warsaw until 2010, in Vienna since 2010
- Both countries nominated honorary consuls in each other’s capitals
- The Hungarian honorary consulate was inaugurated in Vientiane by Zsolt Németh, parliamentary secretary on 30 October 2011 (honorary consul: Somsavath Khemsuliyajack)
- Dr. László Váradi, retired Director of the Research Institute for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Irrigation, was nominated as honorary consul for Laos in Budapest in March 2014
Political Relations
- High-level relations: the Lao Prime Minister’s official visit to Hungary in 1976, the Hungarian Prime Minister visited Laos in 1984.
- Intergovernmental relations, bilateral meetings of foreign affairs ministers: Phongsavath Boupha first Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Budapest on March 2009, Thongloun Sisoulith Minister of Foreign Affairs (also Deputy Prime Minister) on June 2011 officially visited Budapest after the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
- János Martonyi Minister of Foreign Affairs represented the Hungarian Prime Minister on the 9th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit in Laos in 2012 and negotiated with Somsavad Lengsavad Deputy Prime Minister, supervisor of economic affairs in Laos.
- During the non-official visit in Hungary on November 2013, Somsavad Lengsavad Deputy Prime Minister met with Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian State Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and negotiated with György Czerván State Secretary for Agriculture on matters about agricultural cooperations.
- On the ASEM 10 Summit in Milan on October 2014, Péter Szijjártó Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade held bilateral discussions with Lao partners.
- On November 2014 Somsavad Lengsavad Deputy Prime Minister visited Hungary and negotiated with Semjén Zsolt Deputy Prime Minister and Péter Szijjártó of Foreign Affairs and Trade primarily on the possibilities of developing economic cooperation.
- Parliamentary relations: the Hungarian Vice-President of Parliament visited Laos in 2008, in return, Pany Yatortu Vice-President of the National Assembly of Laos visited Budapest on October 2010 (promoted to President since then).
- Relations between relevant ministries: György Czerván State Secretary for agriculture visited Vientiane on August 2010 to strengthen cooperation between the ministries of agriculture. Phouang Parisak Pravongviengkham Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry visited Hungary in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Balázs Botos Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry for National Economy visited Laos on April 2011 with a business delegation of eight members.
Educational and Social Relations
Education was a significant area of previous Hungarian aid programs to Laos. Over the past years, about 300 Lao students studied in Hungarian universities. Among them, numerous graduates now are employed in middle and top management of public administration in Laos. The rate of those who have graduated in Hungary is particularly high in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When the FAO regional office moved to Budapest in 2008 Hungary offered 10 postgraduate scholarships to Lao students in the areas of agriculture, food industry, and biotechnology but these are at a limited use: in the past years, only a few Lao experts arrived to Hungary for professional training.
Within the framework signed in Vientiane on February 2014 on the Education Cooperation Workplan for the years 2014-2016 and the „Stipendium Hungaricum” scholarship program, 15 scholarships are granted annually to Laos for university studies and professional training. The number of applications for the 15 „Stipendium Hungaricum” scholarships highly exceeded the quota limit in 2014 and 2015, so it is planned to increase the quota after 2016. The Lao-Hungarian Friendship Association was established in 1993, its Lao counterpart was established in 1997.
Contractual Relations
- Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Healthcare, 1976
- Agreement on Lao-Hungarian Cooperation in the field of Economical and Engineering Sciences, 1977
- Cultural and Science Convention, 1977
- Agreement on Open Foreign Currency Accounts and on Trade based on Private Contracts, 1991; Partial Loan Repayment Protocol, 1994; Agreement on the Final Settlement of Government Debt, 2000
- Consular Convention, 1983
- Agreement on Visa-free Travel for Hungarian Citizens with Diplomatic and Service Passports, 1982
- Agreement on 8,6 million USD Tied Aid Loan, 2009
- Agreement on the Cooperation between Ministries of Foreign Affairs, 2011
- Education Cooperation Work Plan for the years 2014-2016, 2014