Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a ceremony on October 23 to mark the 108th founding anniversary of the independent Czechoslovak state (October 28, 1918–2026).
The event aimed to foster friendship, solidarity and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese people, particularly those in Ho Chi Minh City, and the people of the Czech Republic.
It was attended by newly appointed Czech Ambassador to Vietnam Lukas Kaucky, Czech Honorary Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Ngo Hong Chuyen, representatives of Czech businesses and residents in the city, as well as Vietnamese alumni and former officials who used to study or work in the former Czechoslovakia.
In his remarks, Kaucky expressed his appreciation to HUFO and the Vietnam–Czech Republic Friendship Association in the city for organising the celebration. He also commended the association’s people-to-people diplomatic activities which, he said, have helped strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
The around 100,000 Vietnamese people form the largest minority community in the Czech Republic. Vietnamese alumni and former workers in Czechoslovakia have served as an effective bridge between the two peoples, he said, adding that the Czech Embassy will continue working with Vietnamese agencies and organisations to nurture and develop the special bilateral ties.
The ambassador noted that the Czech Prime Minister’s planned visit to Vietnam later this year is expected to mark an important milestone, lifting their relations to a new level and opening up new opportunities for cooperation in investment, trade, tourism and business connectivity, as well as people-to-people exchanges.
Nguyen Muoi, Chairman of the Vietnam–Czech Republic Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, affirmed that the two countries have maintained a longstanding friendship despite historical changes. He expressed Vietnam’s gratitude for the valuable material and spiritual support provided by Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic during Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as its national construction and defence today.
He said their traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have been growing both bilaterally and multilaterally. The Czech Republic is one of Vietnam’s key trading partners in Central and Eastern Europe, while Vietnam serves as a leading trading partner for the Czech Republic in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade exceeded 2 billion USD in the first eight months of 2026, up more than 50% year-on-year, highlighting significant potential for economic cooperation.
The association looks forward to continued cooperation and support from Czech agencies, organisations, and friends in carrying out meaningful activities that foster mutual understanding, nurture friendship, and expand opportunities for collaboration between the two peoples, particularly younger generations, Muoi added./.
VNA
