Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives newly-accredited Ambassador of the Czech Republic Vitezslav Grepl (Photo: VNA)The PM welcomes Czech President Milos Zeman to pay a State-level visit to Vietnam to consolidate the bilateral relations.
Two-way trade reached 249.5 million USD in 2016, he cited, noting that the figure is still modest and below par with their potential.
He urged to two sides to exert more efforts to expand cooperation in economics, trade, and investment, adding that Vietnam is willing to create all favourable conditions for Czech businesses to explore opportunities in the market.
He proposed the Czech Republic continue supporting and promoting comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the EU to soon sign the bilateral free trade agreement, while receiving more skilled Vietnamese workers.
The PM thanked the Czech Republic for recognising the overseas Vietnamese community as ethnic minority.
Grepl revealed a strong-member delegation of businesses will accompany the Czech President in the upcoming trip to Vietnam. An economic forum between the two countries will be held as part of the visit.
He said the number of Czech tourists to Vietnam is increasing, so he hoped the two countries will soon open a direct air route between the capitals, and Vietnam will exempt visa for Czech visitors.
The Czech Republic is the only country in Europe to recognise the overseas Vietnamese community as ethnic minority, which demonstrates the Czech government and people highly values and respects Vietnamese expatriates, he added.-VNA
VNA
