Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meets representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

PRAGUE — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, his wife Lê Thị Bích Trân and a high-ranking delegation of Việt Nam met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic on January 18 evening (local time) within the framework of their official visit to the European nation.

At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Dương Hoài Nam reported that in recent times, the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Việt Nam and the Czech Republic developed positively.

The Czech Republic currently considers Việt Nam a priority partner and a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

Bilateral trade has increased very quickly, doubling after five years, reaching US$2.9 billion in 2023 and $3.8 billion last year, of which Việt Nam exported $3.3 billion worth of products to the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is the first country in the EU to ratify the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Education is a very potential field of cooperation, accprding to the ambassdor, more and more Vietnamese students are coming to study in the Czech Republic with European educational standards but the university study period is only three years and the cost is affordable.

The two sides also have great opportunities to promote cooperation in tourism, culture, and labour, especially the Vietnamese Government's decision to exempt visas for Czech citizens entering the Southeast Asian country in groups for tourism purposes regardless of passport types will be a big boost.

The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic currently has about 100,000 people, the 3rd largest ethnic minority community in the Czech Republic and also the 3rd largest Vietnamese community in Europe, the diplomat noted.

Hoàng Đình Thắng, member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, Chairman of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, said that the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is considered to be industrious and hard-working, actively contributing to the development of the host country and bilateral relations, being one of the Vietnamese communities in the world with a very unified and regulated organisation.

Thắng and people attending the meeting raised a number of recommendations and suggestions related to participating and organising the Great National Solidarity Festival abroad; regaining Vietnamese citizenship; and opening the direct flight route between Prague and Hà Nội.

PM Chính expressed his joy at the continuous growth and maturity of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, affirming its position and role in the host country, proving the capacity and intelligence of Vietnamese people, living and working according to the law. Many people have become rich and the Vietnamese intellectual contingent has also developed.

In particular, the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic was the first Vietnamese community in the world to be recognised by countries as a minority group, he said, this was thanks to the efforts of the political system under the leadership of the Party, diplomatic representative agencies and the community.

The PM said that this visit aimed to raise relations between the two countries to a new level and kick off the year celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1950-2025); and promote cooperation in the fields of politics - diplomacy, trade, investment, culture, education, defence, security, and people-to-people exchanges.

He emphasised that the world had changed a lot, but the relationship between Việt Nam and the Czech Republic had not been affected, and long-standing traditions were increasingly consolidated and strengthened.

It is expected that during the visit, the PM will ask authorities at all levels of the Czech Republic to continue creating more favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study, work, and further integrate into the host society, maximise their abilities, and contribute to the development of the Czech Republic and the friendship relations between the two countries.

PM Chính affirmed that the Party and State always cared about and identify the Vietnamese community abroad as an integral part of the great national unity bloc. Institutionalising the Party's guidelines, Việt Nam had been and were continuing to amend, supplement and perfect laws and regulations related to nationality, identification, land and housing to ensure legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese people abroad.

In the new context, the leader said that it would be necessary to change the way of doing things to maximise the potential, development space, different potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages in the relationship between the two countries. Along with promoting the EU – Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), it was a must to accelerate the ratification of the EU – Việt Nam Investment Promotion Agreement (EVIPA), have appropriate visa policies, labour policies and nationality regulations, and promote transport connectivity.

Responding to participants' suggestions and recommendations, PM Chính said that the Government would report and propose to competent authorities to amend and supplement the Law on Vietnamese Nationality; discuss with the Việt Nam Fatherland Front on recommendations related to organising the Great National Solidarity Festival; and direct agencies and units to promote aviation connections between Việt Nam and the Czech Republic, including studying forms of connecting flights.

He requested the embassy to closely follow and firmly grasp the correct and timely situation to advise the Party and State, propose clear people, clear tasks, clear time, clear responsibilities, and clear product; thus contributing to promoting the relationship between the two countries, which has a 75-year tradition with core values that are increasingly developing well. — VNS