Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Council Nguyen Van Dung (sixth, from left) receives Jan Bartosek (fifth, from left), Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic on May 25. Photo: VNA

Ho Chi Minh City always pays attention to promoting trade and investment cooperation with the Czech Republic, said Nguyen Van Dung, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Council when receiving Jan Bartosek, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, in the southern city on May 25, VNA reported.

Dung said that the city welcomes and is willing to create favorable conditions for Czech businesses to invest and do long-term business in the city.

HCM City also wants to welcome more Czech tourists in the coming time and boost cooperation with the Czech Republic in education and training of high-quality human resources for the future development of the city, he said.

Bartosek expressed his delight at the strong development of relations between the two countries.

He noted interest in the Prague Club in HCM City and voiced his hope that HCM City authorities and the Prague Club will actively support and participate in activities held by the Czech Cultural Centre after the agency is opened in Hanoi.

The legislator said that, with the joint efforts of both countries, in the coming time, the relationship between the Czech Republic and Vietnam, including HCM City, will develop strongly, particularly in areas of mutual interest such as tourism, agriculture, higher education and training and people-to-people exchange.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament Jan Bartosek. Photo: VNA

Previously, in Hanoi, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that the Czech Republic is a very important partner of Vietnam in Central-Eastern Europe, during his reception for Bartosek.

Hue hailed the outcomes of the talks between Bartosek and NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Duc Hai, which took place earlier the same day, and stressed that the Czech legislator’s Vietnam visit contributes to boosting cooperation between the two countries in general and their legislative bodies in particular.

Speaking highly of the Czech Republic’s recognition of the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority group in the country, Hue said the recognition will contribute to enhancing bilateral relations.

For his part, Bartosek expressed his hope that the two countries will open direct flights in order to forge their tourism cooperation and promote their trade ties in a more balanced fashion.

Host and guest shared the view that tourism will be a promising cooperation area if the two countries launch direct flights. This will also help enhance cooperation in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchange.

Last year, two-way trade reached USD 848 million, up 15% from 2021, which, however, has yet to match their potential and desires, Hue said, stressing that the two economies are reciprocal.

Vietnam wants to export many products to the EU, including the Czech Republic, on the basis of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, and vice versa, Vietnam will facilitate Czech goods' access to its market, he continued.

Regarding the legislative ties, the NA Chairman suggested the two sides continue pushing ahead with delegation exchanges, and consider the signing of a new cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese legislature and the Czech Chamber of Deputies to replace the one signed in 2009.

Bartosek affirmed that the Vietnamese community forms an integral part of the Czech society, and has helped build a friendship bridge between the two countries. The official expressed his hope for stronger collaboration in education and training, promising that the Czech Republic will grant scholarships to Vietnamese postgraduate students.

Hue suggested the Czech Republic urge other EU countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, and the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its “yellow card” warning against Vietnamese seafood.

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