President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman (Source: VNA)Since the two countries establisheddiplomatic ties on February 2, 1950, cooperation has been nurtured bygenerations of leaders and people.
Vietnam attaches importance to relationswith its traditional friends in Central and Eastern Europe, with the CzechRepublic a priority, while the European nation also pays attention to fosteringrelations with Vietnam.
Over the years, economic, trade andinvestment ties between Vietnam and the Czech Republic have grown. Two-waytrade reached 249 million USD in 2016.
In its 2012-2020 national export strategy,the Czech Republic put Vietnam – the only ASEAN nation – on a list of 12priority markets. Vietnam ships coffee, pepper, fruits, peanut, tea, rice,rubber and seafood to the Czech Republic, while importing electronic products,machines, chemicals, milk and dairy products and pharmaceutical products fromthe European country.
The Czech Republic has 35 investmentprojects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of 91.3 million USD,focusing on real estate, electric equipment and construction materials.
It was the first East European nation to consistentlyprovide official development assistance for Vietnam. Since 1999, it haspresented scholarships to Vietnamese students and postgraduates.
Currently, there are more than 60,000Vietnamese people living in the Czech Republic. In 2013, the overseasVietnamese community was recognised as an ethnic minority in the country.
The two countries have signed severalcooperation agreements, including an agreement on double taxation avoidance in2004, another on economic cooperation in 2006, and another on cooperation inculture, education, science, youth and sports in 2016.
They are negotiating a new educationagreement.
The State visit to Vietnam by PresidentMilos Zeman aims to affirm the Czech Republic’s hope to tighten friendship andcooperation with Vienam.
The visit will allow the two countries toseek measures to boost relations in all fields, especially economics, trade,investment, education and training, and labour export and discuss regional andinternational issues of mutual concern.-VNA
VNA
