National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue receives Vice President of the Czech Republic's House of Representatives

The National Assembly Chairman believes that the Czech Republic has the potential to develop agriculture and can invest in agricultural processing factories for export in Vietnam.

Chủ tịch Quốc hội Vương Đình Huệ tiếp Phó Chủ tịch Hạ viện Czech Jan Batosek. (Nguồn: TTXVN)

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received Czech Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Jan Batosek. (Source: VNA)

On the afternoon of May 23, at the National Assembly House, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue received Vice President of the Czech Republic's House of Representatives Jan Bartosek.

The National Assembly Chairman warmly welcomed Mr. Jan Bartosek, Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives, to visit Vietnam. Appreciating the results of the talks between the Vice President of the House of Representatives and Vice President of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai that took place the same morning, the National Assembly Chairman emphasized that the visit of Mr. Jan Bartosek and his delegation will continue to contribute to strengthening the cooperative relationship between the two legislative bodies in particular and between the two countries in general.

The National Assembly Chairman emphasized that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing relations with traditional friends in the Central-Eastern European region, of which the Czech Republic is one of the most important partners. In recent times, the two countries have enjoyed very good political and diplomatic relations, with government agencies and the National Assembly continuously exchanging high-level delegations at all levels.

On this occasion, the National Assembly Chairman respectfully thanked traditional friendly countries, including the Czech Republic, for supporting Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and in the current process of national construction and development. Thousands of Vietnamese officials, engineers and workers have been helped by the Czech Republic to study and work. Many of them are holding important positions in the State apparatus as well as in the socio-economic life of Vietnam.

Appreciating the Czech Republic's recognition of the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority in the Czech Republic, the National Assembly Chairman said that this is a fundamental condition, contributing to strengthening relations between the two countries and two peoples.

Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives Jan Bartosek thanked the President of the National Assembly for taking the time to meet him, and emphasized that the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries that have been developed for decades have brought "sweet fruits" and achieved many important results.

Recalling the official visit to Vietnam by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in April 2023, the Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives said that the exchanges of high-level delegations at all levels demonstrated the interest and efforts of the leaders of the two countries to elevate diplomatic relations.

Mr. Jan Bartosek hopes that the two countries will soon open direct flights to promote tourism cooperation; promote trade cooperation between the two countries in a more balanced direction, the Czech Republic will soon export products such as beef, pork... to Vietnam; strengthen cooperation in the field of security, cooperation in preventing and combating all types of crimes, especially drug crimes...

At the meeting, the National Assembly Chairman agreed with the Vice Chairman of the Czech House of Representatives that tourism cooperation is one of the areas with great potential if the two countries soon open direct flights. This will simultaneously promote trade, investment and people-to-people exchange. This is also the wish of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

In 2022, Vietnam-Czech bilateral trade turnover reached 848 million USD, an increase of 15% compared to 2021. However, this figure is still modest compared to the potential and desires of the two countries.

Emphasizing that the two economies are complementary, the National Assembly Chairman said that the Czech Republic has the potential to develop agriculture and can invest in agricultural processing factories for export in Vietnam. Vietnam wants to have more goods entering the EU market, including the Czech Republic, on the basis of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); in return, Vietnam creates conditions to increase the output of Czech goods entering Vietnam.

Regarding parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, the National Assembly Chairman suggested that the two sides continue to promote delegation exchanges, continue to implement the Cooperation Agreement between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the Czech House of Representatives signed in 2009, and consider signing a new Cooperation Agreement in accordance with the current situation.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Jan Bartosek emphasized that the Vietnamese community is recognized as an ethnic minority in the Czech Republic, an inseparable part of Czech society, contributing to building a bridge of friendship between the people of the two countries.

Emphasizing his interest in the field of education and training, Mr. Jan Bartosek wished to continue promoting cooperation in this field and said that the Czech Republic provides scholarships for postgraduate students in Vietnam. Education and training are also the foundation for developing friendship between the two countries.

Expressing his agreement with the Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives on the early opening of the Czech Cultural Center in Vietnam, the National Assembly Chairman said that in the context of unpredictable fluctuations in the world economy, on the basis of the traditional friendship, strengthening cooperation between the two sides is very important.

The National Assembly Chairman suggested that the Czech Republic urge the remaining EU countries to soon ratify the Investment Protection Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EVIPA) to further expand investment cooperation opportunities between the two sides; and urge the European Council (EC) to soon remove the IUU “yellow card” for Vietnamese seafood.

At the meeting, the President of the National Assembly and the Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives discussed a number of international and regional issues of mutual concern. Regarding the East Sea, the President of the National Assembly and the Vice President of the Czech House of Representatives affirmed their support for resolving disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

On this occasion, through Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Bartosek, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue sent his regards and invitation to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the President of the Czech Senate to pay an official visit to Vietnam; and invited the Czech Parliament to send a delegation to attend the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians scheduled from September 15-17 this year in Vietnam.

Next, Czech Deputy Speaker Jan Bartosek and members of the delegation attended the plenary session of the Vietnamese National Assembly.

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