Vietnam a promising market for Czech businesses in SEA: Ambassador
VOV.VN - The nation is currently one of the most promising markets for Czech businesses in Southeast Asia thanks to its large population, rapid economic growth, and favourable investment environment.
These remarks were made by Czech Ambassador to Vietnam Hynek Kmonicek in a recent media interview given ahead of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala's upcoming visit to the nation from April 20 to April 22.
According to the diplomat, the main focus of PM Fiala's visit is to strengthen the mutual relationship, with the trip contributing to enhancing trade, investment, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Evaluating the results achieved in terms of ties between the two countries over recent times, Ambassador Kmonicek said his nation has gradually held a more important position in the Vietnamese market over recent years.
The Vietnamese Government has implemented a host of policies aimed at improving the investment environment and attracting greater foreign investment.
The most promising sectors for Czech businesses in the nation are manufacturing, tourism, and technology.
The country boasts a large and young workforce, which is a key advantage for the manufacturing sector. In addition, it is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination with Czech businesses able to tap into this growing market, Ambassador Kmonicek said.
“In terms of technology, Vietnam has a highly skilled workforce in the field of information technology and I believe Czech businesses boast huge potential to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in this field,” he went on to say.
Regarding the Vietnamese investment environment for Czech enterprises, Ambassador Kmonicek stated that the nation has made significant progress in terms of improving the local investment environment over recent years, although there remains plenty of room for improvement. As a means of attractting more investment from the Czech Republic, the Vietnamese side could consider adjusting its legal and regulatory frameworks to make things more transparent and predictable.
Furthermore, the country can make efforts to improve infrastructure and logistics in a bid to create more favourable conditions for Czech businesses to operate localler, he said, adding that manufacturing, tourism, and technology are the sectors with the most potential for Czech businesses.
The Vietnamese manufacturing sector benefits from a young and large workforce, while the local tourism industry has been growing rapidly over recent years.
In terms of the technology sector, the nation is home to a highly-skilled workforce and a competitive IT industry. These factors make the country an attractive destination for Czech businesses wishing to co-operate in this field.
If these problems can be solved, then the Vietnamese side will certainly be able to continue to attract more investment from the Czech Republic and bilateral economic relations between the two countries will be able to further deepen.
Educational co-operation between both sides date back to 1956 when about 100 Vietnamese students were sent to Chrastava in the Liberec region. Talking about the potential to further ramp up education ties between the two countries, Ambassador Kmonicek said links in this area have enjoyed constant development over recent years.
The two countries have enjoyed very close co-operation through many academic exchanges, research co-operation, and joint degree programmes.
Increasing numbers of Vietnamese students have chosen the Czech Republic as a destination for higher education and vice versa, with the number of Czech students studying in the country also increasing.
Within the framework of PM Fiala's visit, the two nations will come together to sign a Letter of Intent on educational co-operation in order to further strengthen links between the two countries in this field in the near future.
“In addition, the Czech Republic and Vietnam have great potential to boost cooperation in vocational education and training. The Czech Republic has a strong vocational education system and Vietnam can benefit from our experience in this area,” the Czech diplomat said.
Talking about his impressions of Vietnam, Ambassador Kmonicek said, “Since becoming Ambassador to Vietnam in 2022, I have been impressed with your country's natural beauty, rich history and vibrant culture. Vietnamese people are friendly and hospitable, and the country has made remarkable progress in economic development.”