President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala. (Photo: VNA)

On April 21, during a reception in Hanoi for Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, who is on Vietnam visit from April 20-22, President Thuong thanked the Czech Republic’s Government and people for providing invaluable support for Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and reunification and the current national development.

He hailed mutual support that the two countries offered to each other in the fight against COVID-19.

Prime Minister Fiala, for his part, affirmed that the Czech Republic always values the development of ties with Vietnam, its most important partner in ASEAN.

Speaking highly of the outcomes of talks between the two Prime Ministers, President Thuong suggested both sides work closely together to carry out agreements reached during the visit, fully tap existing potential and opportunities to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the new period. This could be achieved through facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels, promoting economic-trade and investment cooperation, leveraging the tradition of collaboration in education-training, and stepping up tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Agreeing with the President’s proposals, Prime Minister Fiala affirmed that the two governments will continue creating favourable conditions for the two countries’ firms to expand operations.

He proposed bolstering coordination in politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, and people-to-people exchange through the early opening of a direct air route between the two countries and the inauguration of a Czech cultural centre in Vietnam.

President Vo Van Thuong hosts Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Hanoi: At the reception. (Photo: VNA)

Both sides agreed to continue working closely together and supporting each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially at the United Nations, ASEM and within the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework, for the sake of peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

About security issue, including the East Sea issue, the two leaders underscored the need to settle disputes through peaceful measures, including diplomatic and legal processes in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

President Thuong suggested the Czech Government continue offering all possible support to the Vietnamese community to settle down their lives. He believed that the Vietnamese community will continue upholding their active role as a bridge promoting economic and tourism cooperation and cultural exchange, contributing to bilateral friendly cooperation across the board.

The President took this occasion to ask Prime Minister Fiala to convey his invitation to President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam at a convenient time.