Czech PM Fiala wraps up visit to Vietnam

During his stay from April 20-22, Fiala held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, paid a courtesy visit to President Vo Van Thuong, and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between the two countries.

Both sides affirmed their resolve to promote the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to effectively implement the agreements reached during the visit to further increase bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, as well as education and training.

They consented to promote tourism and people-to-people exchanges, through the early opening of direct flights between the two countries and the opening of the Czech Cultural Center in Vietnam.

They vowed to raise bilateral trade turnover to US$1 billion in the next one or two years by fully and effectively implementing the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), improving the efficiency of the joint committee on economic cooperation, encouraging Czech businesses to invest in Vietnam, and facilitating the accessibility of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products in the Czech market.

The two sides agreed to to closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums and international organizations, especially at the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework to contribute to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the rest of the world.

Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue, the two sides emphasized the need to settle disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Fiala attended the Czech – Vietnam business forum in Hanoi and made a fact-finding tour of the Skoda Auto assembly plant, a joint venture project between Skoda Auto, the leading carmaker of the Czech Republic, and TC Group of Vietnam in Quang Ninh province.