(MPI) - Building on the significant achievements of bilateral relations across all areas over the past 75 years, along with the immense potential for further cooperation and the firm belief in the promising future of Vietnam - Czechia ties, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala agreed to issue a Joint Statement on upgrading the relations to a Strategic Partnership, during the official visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister to the Czech Republic from January 18-20.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala hold talk. Photo: VGP

Vietnam and Czech create all favourable conditions for businesses

Economic cooperation has been identified as one of the major pillars of bilateral relations. Vietnam and Czechia are willing to create favourable conditions for businesses and investors to operate in each other’s market through cooperation and support for trade promotion activities. Both sides are also willing to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation in areas, including but not limited to infrastructure development, transport, civil aviation, renewable energy, green technology, pharmaceuticals, mineral mining and processing, mechanical engineering, specialized machinery, and automotive industry.

The two Prime Ministers highlighted the importance of an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for trade and investment based on international rules. Both sides will take advantage of the opportunities within the framework of the EU - Viet Nam partnership, coordinate in the active and effective implementation of the EU - Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and encourage the completion of ratification and implementation of the EU - Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Both sides will support each other in fostering economic cooperation and improving market access in ASEAN and the EU.

Both sides desire stronger agricultural cooperation and mutual information exchange on regulations, standards and technical requirements for quality control and food safety in agriculture, forestry and fishery, to cooperate in building an agricultural supply chain between the two countries, to build joint models for technology application in agricultural production and advance research cooperation, and promote genetic exchange of livestock and crops, biotechnology, and animal feed production.

The two leaders will work more closely together to facilitate the integration of the Vietnamese community in Czechia, enabling them to further contribute positively to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnam and Czechia enhance cooperation in new fields

Vietnam and Czechia reiterated their commitment to conclude and implement the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Education, and promote direct cooperation between their respective universities and research institutes in areas where Viet Nam and Czechia enjoy advantages.

Both sides will advance cooperation in traditional domains such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, environmental technology, agricultural and fishery technologies, information and communication technologies, and will expand collaborations to manufacturing mechanical engineering and mining (the research on and extraction, refining and quality evaluation of rare earth metals).

Both sides will deepen cooperation in science, research and innovations. They will bolster cooperation in digital economy and digital transformation. They will promote collaborations between the universities of both countries, research institutes and businesses in the research and development of digital transformation products and solutions, and new technologies.

Vietnam and Czechia will consider more effective cooperation in highly skilled labour migration. Vietnam requested the Czech side to consider facilitating labour migration from Vietnam to Czechia. Any such considerations of facilitation of highly skilled labour would be contingent on appropriate security and return guarantees provided by the Vietnamese side.

Both sides are willing to enhance cooperation between their local and regional authorities and social and professional organizations to tap into their complementarities and advance connectivity across various areas, including trade, investment, education and cultural exchanges, to bring about concrete benefits to both sides and strengthen the friendship between Viet Nam and Czechia./.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment