Visiting Vietnamese State President Truong Tan Sang and his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman have agreed to step up the two countries’ cooperation in economic affairs, trade, and investment to match their potential.

The agreement was reached during their talks in Prague on Monday, a day after President Sang arrived in the republic for a four-day visit, a Tuoi Tre (Youth) correspondent reported from that capital city. The two presidents expressed their delight at the sound development of the past 65 years of all-around bilateral cooperation. Despite the impacts of the recent global economic recession, cooperation in economic affairs, trade, and investment between Vietnam and the Czech Republic has continued to develop dynamically, but it should be further boosted to match the potential and expectation of each country, the two leaders said. They agreed to effectively implement the Inter-Governmental Committee on Vietnam-Czech Republic Economic Cooperation mechanism, strengthen bilateral trade, and encourage and facilitate businesses of both countries to set up partnerships in various areas, including infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, public transport means, agricultural machinery, electrical and medical equipment, construction materials, and food processing. In addition, their bilateral ties in education, training, defense, security, science, technology, transport, culture, sports, and tourism will be expanded. President Sang suggested that the Czech Republic continue its supply of official development assistance to Vietnam’s projects in the environment, forestation, waste treatment, community health care, insurance system reform, and hospital construction.

He also thanked the Czech government for supporting the Vietnamese communities in the country, and expressed his belief that these communities will keep acting as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

President Zeman told his guest that the Czech Republic has ratified the EU-Vietnam Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA). He pledged to call on the EU to approve the PCA soon, complete negotiations toward the signing of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement, and recognize Vietnam as a market economy.

Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issues, the two presidents concurred that disputes should be settled by peaceful means based on international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC) for peace, stability, maritime and aviation safety, and freedom of navigation in the region. On the same day, President Sang met with President of the Czech Senate Milan Stech and President of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Hamacek, and attended the Vietnam economic-tourism cooperation forum.

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