Hanoi (VNA) — A meeting was held in Hanoi on April 12 between a delegation of the Slovak Government and representatives of Vietnamese people who have strong affection for Slovakia, on the occasion of the official visit to Vietnam by the Slovak Prime Minister and a government delegation.
The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam – Slovakia Friendship Association and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations.
Le Quang Hung, President of the Vietnam – Slovakia Friendship Association, said Vietnam and former Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia, have shared a traditional friendship spanning more than 75 years. Over the years, the relationship has been continuously nurtured and strengthened.
Vietnamese people always remember the valuable support and assistance provided by the Government and people of Czechoslovakia in the past, and Slovakia today, during Vietnam’s struggle for national independence and national development.
During that period, Slovakia provided Vietnam with materials and equipment, helped train nearly 4,000 Vietnamese engineers, university graduates and doctors, and offered vocational training to more than 7,000 skilled workers. It also created opportunities for nearly 20,000 Vietnamese labourers to work in factories and production facilities in Slovakia.
After returning home, many of these individuals formed a community of Vietnamese who maintain strong affection for Slovakia. They have played a particularly important role in strengthening relations between the two countries, acting as a bridge connecting the people of Vietnam and Slovakia.
The Vietnam – Slovakia Friendship Association, established in 1997 after separating from the former Vietnam – Czechoslovakia Friendship Association, represents Vietnamese people who have close ties with Slovakia. Over nearly three decades, the association has organised numerous people-to-people diplomacy activities to promote friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
Hung proposed that the Slovak Government and relevant agencies continue promoting people-to-people exchanges, including the establishment of a Slovakia–Vietnam Friendship Association in Slovakia to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the two sides.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar highlighted that the Vietnamese community in Slovakia serves as an important bridge helping the two countries better understand each other and deepen practical cooperation.
He noted that the Vietnamese community has integrated well into Slovak society while actively preserving and promoting Vietnamese cultural identity through cultural events and festivals.
In 2023, the Slovak Government officially recognised the Vietnamese community as Slovakia’s 14th ethnic minority, enhancing its legal status and facilitating deeper integration into Slovak society.
Blanar also emphasised that Vietnam is currently Slovakia’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and its third-largest partner in Asia. With the solid foundation of friendship and continued efforts from both sides, he expressed confidence that Vietnam – Slovakia relations will continue to grow stronger and more effective in the future./.
