Enterprises from the Czech Republic wish to step up trade cooperation with Vietnam and expand together into global markets, Manager of the Czech and Moravian Electrical and Electronic Association (EIA) Jan Proks told the Vietnam Economic Times.

Proks, accompanied by Czech firms, is in Hanoi for the 25 th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2015) between April 15 and 18.

The Czech Republic has maintained a strong relationship with Vietnam for more than 60 years, and many overseas Vietnamese consider the country their second home, the EIA chief said.

According to Proks, the European nation has a strong manufacturing industry, focusing on electrics, energy and materials for machines, metallurgy, automobiles, food and beverages and traditional glass and crystal products.

Its main buyers include European Union (EU) member states, notably Germany, alongside China, Russia, the Middle East and Vietnam.

The country has primarily shipped machines and electrical products to Vietnam in recent years, he noted, adding that the country is looking to further expand its list of export items to the partner.

Proks made clear the potential for bilateral cooperation in electrics, electronics, information technology and public services in the future and expressed his willingness to act as a bridge for Vietnamese businesses to enter EU common markets.

Vietnam has been the EIA’s important partner in Asia, he emphasised.

The EIA is a Czech-based free union of entrepreneurs and employers and associates major domestic producers and suppliers of the electrical and electronic industries as well as of information technology. It serves as an industrial and business lobby group striving to support business and help skilled manufacturers succeed. It also aims to improve the competitiveness of Czech firms.-VNA