Vietnam was a safe and attractive destination for foreign investors and international tourists, President Truong Tan Sang told a Vietnam Economy-Tourism Co-operation Forum in Prague on Monday.
President Truong Tan Sang (right) meets with Chairman of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic, Moravia Vojtěch Filip, in Prague. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang
The event, which was organised by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Vietnam, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, was also attended by Czech President Miloš Zeman.
Addressing an audience of 500 companies from Viet Nam, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, President Sang said several bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, including the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, were expected to be signed between Vietnam and other nations in the near future.
Sang said this would lay the foundation for promoting trade, investment and tourism activities between Vietnam and other countries in the region and the world.
“With a population of 90 million and a significant share of the 500-million-strong Southeast Asian market, Vietnam offers investors many incentive policies,” he added.
President Sang said the tens of thousands of Vietnamese who once studied in the Czech Republic and Slovakia would serve as a bridge for friendship, trade and investment co-operation.
Czech President Miloš Zeman said strengthening the traditional relationship between the two countries was the basis for boosting co-operation in economics, trade, investment and tourism.
He also highlighted the successful integration of the Vietnamese community into Czech society where they were recognised as the 14th largest ethnic minority.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh recommended measures to increase the number of tourists and promote tourism investment and business between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, including boosting tourism at all levels, improving visa policies, and increasing co-ordination in market research and development of tourism products.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in the Czech Republic, Jiři Havliček, said the economic relationship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic had developed strongly and that trade volume surpassed US$500 million in 2013.
At the end of 2014, the Czech Republic had 36 investment projects in Vietnam with a combined capital of $64 million. The projects focused on garments and textiles, food processing, mechanical manufacturing, building materials and mining.
Havliček also highlighted co-operation prospects between the two countries in a number of sectors, such as energy, infrastructure, transport vehicles and defence industry and health equipment.
The Vietnamese and Czech Presidents witnessed the signing of documents on co-operation between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and two Czech partners – and between the Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) and the bank Eximbanka of Slovakia and CEB of the Czech Republic.
In 2012, the Czech Republic announced its export strategy until 2020, placing Vietnam among its 12 priority markets.
The Eastern European country has continually provided official development assistance to Vietnam, totalling $18 million.
Party ties
Meeting with Chairman of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic, Moravia Vojtěch Filip, in Prague, Sang said he was confident that its unity and sound policies would ensure that the Czech Communist Party plays an increasingly important role in national politics.President Truong Tan Sang said yesterday that warm relations between the people of Vietnam and the Czech Republic have propelled bilateral co-operation for the last 65 years.
He lauded Filip, who is also Vice President of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, for facilitating co-ordination between the two legislatures. This would add further impetus for the development of Vietnam-Czech ties in various fields, he said.
Filip congratulated the Party, State and people of Vietnam on their successes in economic renovation. He expressed strong belief that comprehensive links between the two countries would be further strengthened.
Earlier, on Monday, President Sang met with the President of the Czech Senate, Milan Štěch, and President of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Hamacek.
They agreed to enhance relations between the two legislatures.
They expressed happiness at the sound growth in traditional friendship and multi-faceted co-operation, and agreed that there was potential for further development in the coming years. The Czech parliamentarians highlighted the importance of cultural exchanges and pledged to support the 60,000-strong Vietnamese community in the country
They also backed an early signing of the Vietnam-EU free-trade agreement (EVFTA).
Warm ties propel Czech investors Related image(s)
0 comments:
Post a Comment