Prague (VNA) – The media in the CzechRepublic have carried a number of stories about the upcoming official visit tothe country by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc from April 16 to 18,underlining the development of the bilateral economic partnership.

The Czech government’s website vlada.cz reportedthat Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis will chair an official welcome ceremonyfor his Vietnamese counterpart on April 17.

One of the key contents of the talks between thetwo PMs will be the enhancement of bilateral economic cooperation, it said,adding that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will help promotebilateral trade.

The two leaders will open the Czech-Vietnambusiness and investment forum, according to the website.

This will be the second meeting between the twoPMs after their meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland, in January 2019, it added.

The Czech-Vietnam Friendship Association alsohighlighted PM Phuc’s upcoming trip to the Czech Republic on its website www.cvs-praha, saying the association’sHonorary President Marcel Winter and President Milos Kusy are glad to meet theVietnamese leader. 

The Parliament of the Czech Republic posted onits website parlamentnilisty.cz an article titled “Potential to boost economiccooperation between Czech and Vietnam”, emphasising on the bilaterallong-standing friendly cooperative relations and potential collaboration ineconomy, trade, and investment.

The article said the bilateral cooperativerelations have been stepped up in recent years, particularly through the visitto Vietnam by Czech President Milos Zeman in June 2017 and the visit to Czechby Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in April 2017.

The sound political ties between the twocountries have created a momentum for the development of the bilateralcooperation, including economy and trade, it said.

The Czech Republic considers Vietnam atraditional and potential trade partner and a bridge to export its products tothe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Notably, in the Czech Republic’s national exportstrategy for 2012-2020, Vietnam was listed as the only country in ASEAN in its12 prioritised markets.

Two-way trade enjoyed an annual growth of over15 percent to reach 1.2 billion USD in 2018, doubling that of 2013, accordingto the article.

Vietnam exported coffee, pepper, fruits, tea,rubber, aquaculture, footwear, garment-textile, and fine art products to the CzechRepublic while importing electronics, machinery, chemicals, dairy products, andpharmaceutical products from the market.

As a member of the European Union, the Czech Republicis willing to cooperate with Vietnam in the fields of machine manufacturing,mining, food processing technology, agriculture and beer production, thearticle said.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) willcreate opportunities for Vietnam and the Czech Republic to access to eachother’s market effectively and increase trade flows in agriculture and food, itadded.

The article concluded that the Czech Republicalways attaches great importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation withVietnam and considers the Southeast Asian country an important partner and agateway to boost cooperation with the ASEAN.-VNA