Prague (VNA) 🐟– Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on January 20 hosted an official welcoming ceremony for PM Pham Minh Chinh, his spouse, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam, who are on their official visit to the European country from January 18 to 20.

Following the ceremony, the two PMs held a private meeting and later led their respective high-level delegations to bilateral talks. PM Chinh’s visit to the Czech Republic takes place in the context that the traditional friendship between the two countries has been growing over the past 75 years. The Czech Republic has consistently supported Vietnam's past struggle for national independence and current national construction. Vietnam always attaches importance to developing the time-honoured relations with the Czech Republic, which in turn has actively fostered cooperative ties with the former across various sectors. Both have frequently exchanged high- and all-level delegations, maintained cooperation mechanisms, and supported each other at international forums. Bilateral trade has risen significantly to reach some 2 billion USD in 2024, making the Czech Republic the largest trading partner of Vietnam in Central and Eastern Europe and Vietnam the most important partner of the former in ASEAN. Currently, the Czech Republic has 41 investment projects worth 91 million USD in Vietnam, focusing on energy, locomotives, rail cars, buses, agricultural machinery, and irrigation equipment. Beyond strong economic and trade cooperation, the two countries have also actively collaborated in defence, security, science, technology, culture, and sports. The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, with around 10,000 people, are well-integrated into the host society and actively contribute to bilateral relations. Notably, the Czech Republic recognised the Vietnamese community as an official ethnic minority group. The PM’s visit is of great significance. It aims to continue affirming Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and proactive, comprehensive and effective international integration. During the trip, PM Chinh and Czech leaders exchanged views and agreed on measures to further strengthen political trust, enhance the strategic dimensions of bilateral cooperation, renew traditional areas of collaboration such as trade, investment, labour, education - training, culture, and tourism, while identifying opportunities for breakthroughs in key sectors like defence, security, innovation, information technology, digital transformation, green transition, renewable energy, and transport connectivity. Earlier on January 20, PM Chinh, his spouse, and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam laid a wreath at the national monument of the Czech Republic - Monument to its Victorious Sons in Prague. Unveiled on October 28, 1932, coinciding with Independence Day of modern Czechoslovak state, the monument honours those who contributed to the nation’s independence and stands as a testament to the Czech people's patriotism and their struggle for freedom and sovereignty./.