President Cuong welcomed Senate President Vystrcil’s visit to Vietnam which he said marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations, particularly as both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950–2025) and actively implementing the new Strategic Partnership framework established in January 2025.

He thanked the Czech Republic for its valuable support for Vietnam, both during the latter’s struggle for independence and in current national development. He expressed Vietnam’s desire to further strengthen cooperation with the Czech Republic, one of Vietnam’s top priority partners and the first Strategic Partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

Senate President Vystrcil congratulated Vietnam on the significant achievements it has made over the past 80 years since gaining independence and 50 years since reunification. He affirmed that the Czech Republic regards Vietnam as an important partner in Southeast Asia and is eager to foster cooperation with Vietnam in all fields.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in Vietnam – Czech Republic relations, particularly in the area of trade. Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the Czech Republic reached US$2 billion in 2024 and US$1.9 billion in the first 10 months of 2025.

However, both sides agreed that this figure does not fully reflect the potential and strengths of the two countries. They acknowledged that there is still much room to increase trade, boost investment, and expand cooperation into many other areas.

President Cuong suggested that the legislative bodies of both countries continue to work together to create favourable legal frameworks for bilateral cooperation. He emphasised the importance of enhancing collaboration in fields such as economy, trade, investment, national defence and security, science and technology, education and training, and culture and tourism.

He particularly stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples, while also exploring new areas of cooperation where both sides can support each other.

One key proposal from President Luong Cuong was for the Czech Republic to help encourage the European Union member states to approve the EU – Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) as soon as possible and to support the European Commission in lifting the yellow card for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vystrcil highly appreciated the contributions of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic to the country’s socio-economic development. He assured his host that the Czech Parliament and local governments would continue to pay attention to the community’s welfare and create favourable conditions for them.

On multilateral cooperation, both leaders affirmed that Vietnam and the Czech Republic would continue to work closely together and support each other at international forums, especially at the United Nations and within the framework of ASEAN-EU cooperation.

They also agreed on the importance of resolving disputes, including the East Sea issue, through peaceful measures in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

During the meeting, Senate President Vystrcil also informed President Cuong that the Czech Republic would provide humanitarian aid worth VND3.5 billion to people affected by flooding in central Vietnam. The aid would be channeled through the Vietnam Red Cross to help those affected by the natural disaster.

On this occasion, President Cuong conveyed his greetings and an invitation to Czech President Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam soon.

Vietnam-Czech Republic strategic partnership in focus

VOV.VN - 2025 marks a special milestone in Vietnam – Czech Republic relations as the two countries officially upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership, paving the way for comprehensive, in-depth cooperation and effective development across multiple sectors.