Businesses from the Czech Republic hope to boost cooperation with Vietnamese partners in various fields, notably industry, healthcare and tourism.

The Czech Government will put forth policies facilitating bilateral trade operations, said Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mladek, at a business forum in Hanoi on May 13.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and the Czech Republic stands at around 240 million USD on an annual basis, falling short of potential according to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Vietnam is appealing for investment from the country in the fields of infrastructure, energy and farm produce processing, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa.

With the efforts of the two Governments and businesses, greater bilateral trade ties will be forged in the future, Thoa added.

Vietnam mainly ships garment-textiles, footwear, machinery and chemicals to the Czech Republic, while importing iron, steel and spare parts from the market.-VNA