Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly(NA) Nguyen Duc Hai and Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the CzechRepublic Jan Bartosek held talks in Hanoi on May 23, agreeing to maintain mutualvisits and experience sharing between the two legislative bodies.

Welcoming the Czech delegation, Haiaffirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to the friendship and multifacetedcooperation with traditional friends, with the Czech Republic being a prioritypartner.

Bartosek stated the Czech Republic treasures the time-testedfriendship between the two countries, views Vietnam as the most importantpartner in Southeast Asia, and hopes to promote bilateral cooperation inmultiple spheres.

The two sides expressed their delight at theprogress in their countries’ relations over the past years as seen incooperation and delegation exchanges in many fields and at levels, especiallythe visit to Vietnam by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala from April 20 to 22,2023, helping strengthen the mutual trust and understanding between the twocountries’ leaders and people.

They applauded the results of cooperation in suchfields as economy - trade, science, education - training, and culture.

ViceChairman Hai called on both countries to maximise advantages created by the EU -Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and actively carry out the outcomes of theInter-governmental Committee’s meeting held in the Prague in late June 2022 tobolster bilateral trade and investment.

He asked Bartosek and othermembers of the Chamber of Deputies to continue supporting the Vietnam - EU relationsin all aspects, especially hastening other EU members’ ratification of the EU -Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the European Commission’searly removal of the “yellow card” warning against IUU fishing for Vietnam.

For his part, Vice Chairman Bartosek stressed thatVietnam is a potential economic partner, and more and more Czech enterprisesare planning to expand operations in the Southeast Asian nation.

Duringthe visit, his delegation will work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development to discuss agricultural cooperation, he noted, proposing authoritiesof Vietnam create favourable conditions for agricultural products of the CzechRepublic, including pork, to access the Vietnamese market.

At thetalks, Hai appreciated the Czech Republic’s enormous and effective assistancefor Vietnam in education and training, suggesting the two countries enhanceties in this regard.

He also thanked the Czech Statefor creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to become an ethnic minoritygroup and settle down in the country.

Bartosek spoke highly of the role of the Vietnamesecommunity, which was recognised as an ethnic minority group by the CzechGovernment in 2013 and has actively contributed to local socio-economicdevelopment.

The Czech official also suggested the two sides setup cultural centres in each other’s countries soon, open direct air routes, andprovide favourable visa conditions to boost investment, tourism, andpeople-to-people exchanges.

The officials also shared views on regional and internationalissues of common concern. They affirmed that Vietnam and the Czech Republicwill maintain close coordination and mutual support at international forums andorganisations, including the United Nations and the Asia - Europe Meeting (ASEM),and in promoting ASEAN’s relations with the Czech Republic and the EU.

With regard to the East Sea issue, they reaffirmed the support for the peacefulsettlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Talking about parliamentary cooperation, theyagreed to maintain mutual visits between parliamentary leaders, committees, andagencies; increase sharing experience in and information about legislative activities;and coordinate to monitor the implementation of cooperation agreements and key projectsbetween the two countries.

Hai and Bartosek highly valued the dynamism of the two parliamentaryfriendship groups, asking them to augment efforts to contribute more tobilateral cooperation.

They alsopledged to keep coordination at multilateral forums such as theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia - Europe Parliamentary Partnership(ASEP) meetings. The two legislative bodies will also step up viewpoint exchangeand mutual support in issues of shared concern./.