Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association in HCMC, Nguyen Muoi, affirmed that the Vietnamese people always remember both material and spiritual support from the former Czechoslovakia and the current Czech Republic in the struggle for national liberation and the process of protecting and building the country.
According to the Chairman of the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association in HCMC, the traditional friendly relations and multilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic have been fruitful and continuously consolidated and developed. The two countries have taken advantage of the Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) over the past time and saw positive growth in two-way trade turnover.
This figure exceeded US$554 million in 2020; reached US$1.13 billion in 2023; and gained US$1.28 billion in the first nine months of 2024, of which exports from Vietnam to the Czech Republic reached nearly US$1.13 billion and imports from the Czech Republic to Vietnam exceeded US$164 million.
He also extended his sincere thanks to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vietnam and the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in HCMC for their support to all activities of the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association in the city.
Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic to HCMC, Ngo Hong Chuyen said that the Czech Republic was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam and is also one of the first member countries of the European Union to approve the EVFTA and the Investment Protection Agreement between Vietnam and the EU (EVIPA).
Vietnam's and the Czech Republic's economies are growing strongly at a high rate and integrating deeply into the regional and global economy. In terms of trade, bilateral trade turnover has increased steadily over the years, especially after two years of implementing the EVFTA. In terms of investment, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of June 2024, the Czech Republic has 41 investment projects in Vietnam with a total capital of US$92.38 million, he added.
Mr. Ngo Hong Chuyen said that the Czech Republic is always interested in strengthening and developing cooperative relations with Vietnam and considers the country as the most important partner in Southeast Asia. The Czech Republic also recognizes Vietnam as one of the priority partners for economic cooperation outside the EU. In the first four months of 2024, Vietnam was among the top 20 largest export markets to the Czech Republic, ranking first in Southeast Asia and sixth in Asia.
