Press Advisories

21. 4. 202317:45

Prime Minister Fiala held talks with top Vietnamese officials on strengthening trade cooperation

Vietnam was the fourth country visited by Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala during his business trip to Asia. On Friday, 21 April 2023, he met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Trinh and President Vo Van Thuong in Hanoi. The main topics of the meeting included strengthening defence-industrial and trade cooperation. The Prime Minister also supported Czech entrepreneurs in negotiations with their Vietnamese counterparts at the business forum and on Saturday he visited the construction of a new Škoda Auto factory and its local partner in Quang Ninh province.

The Czech Republic and Vietnam have strong relations that have lasted for over 70 years. Vietnam is one of the Czech Republic's most important trading partners in Southeast Asia and is currently the fastest growing economy in this region. “The aim of my visit was to deepen economic cooperation, facilitate access of our companies to the local market and protect Czech entrepreneurs. This is important in order to increase the volume of our exports to the country and improve the trade balance, which is currently heavily in favour of Vietnam, with our exports being 20 times smaller than imports,” said the Prime Minister.

Meetings with the Prime Minister and the President

During his visit, the Czech Prime Minister met with top Vietnamese officials. “In my negotiations with the Prime Minister and the President, I supported Czech companies and joint projects. Vietnam is very interested in cooperation, for example in the energy sector. There is also a great opportunity for our entrepreneurs in the defence industry, including aerospace. Twelve Czech L-39 NG aircraft have already been purchased by Vietnam and negotiations are underway to purchase more aircraft. This fact is also related to the training of pilots, the supply of radars and other options,” added the Czech Prime Minister. Elevating our relations to the level of a strategic partnership will also help our entrepreneurs to penetrate the Vietnamese market in the future.

The introduction of a direct air link between our countries, the preparation of which was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, was also a topic of discussion. The new link would lead to stronger relations, whether in terms of business, tourism or investment. Vietnam is an attractive destination for Czech tourists and investors. The demand for direct connections is also increasing among the Vietnamese community living in the Czech Republic. Preparations are also underway for the opening of the Czech Centre in Hanoi in October this year.

Czech-Vietnamese Business Forum

Prime Minister Fiala opened the Czech-Vietnamese Business Forum in Hanoi, which was attended by more than 200 representatives of businesses from both countries. Czech companies are active in the local market, especially in the fields of defence and mining, energy, aviation, healthcare and financial services. Successful investors include PPF, Hydra, Elmich Group and East Sea Travel.

Construction of the new Škoda Auto factory

At the end of his working visit to Vietnam, on Saturday, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala visited the construction of a new factory of Škoda Auto and its local partner Thanh Cong Group in Quang Ninh province. As early as next year, the assembly of cars should start here, which will initially reach 30,000 cars per year. “In many countries, Škoda is actually the main thing that people associate the Czech Republic with, so it is an informal ambassador of our industry and our country in the world. It is therefore great that it is strengthening its presence in Asia and entering this highly dynamic and extremely promising market. It will certainly bring benefits to the local economy, it will be reflected in the economic growth of the local province and in the creation of new jobs," said the Czech Prime Minister.

The Czech carmaker plans to offer European models on the Vietnamese market already this year. The first showrooms will open during the second quarter of this year. Local assembly of two models will start in 2024.

The Prime Minister also met with the President of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hua. He also visited the Blue Dragon Foundation, which helps children and families in need and is supported by the Czech Republic as part of our development cooperation.

On Sunday, the Czech Prime Minister will land in Kazakhstan, where he will meet with Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov and President Kasym-Zomart Tokayev. A key topic of the meeting will be strengthening cooperation in the energy sector, as Kazakhstan is our major oil supplier. The two sides will also discuss deepening cooperation in the areas of defence and defence-industrial cooperation and increasing the possible share of Czech companies in the modernisation of the country's industry. Czech companies are also interested in cooperation in the modernisation of the Kazakh armed forces, as well as in supplies to the civilian sector. Uzbekistan will be the last stop on the Prime Minister's ten-day business trip to Asia.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala's ten-day trip to Asia continues with an official visit to Vietnam. He has already visited Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. In the next few days, the Prime Minister will visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan