Prague, January 19, 2025 – The Europe Today: Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, accompanied by his wife Lê Thị Bích Trân and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, engaged with staff from the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic on the evening of January 18. The meeting was part of the Prime Minister’s official visit to strengthen ties with the European nation.
During the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Dương Hoài Nam, reported on the robust development of traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic. Highlighting the bilateral trade achievements, he noted a rapid increase in trade volume, which reached $3.8 billion in 2024, with Vietnam exporting $3.3 billion worth of goods to the Czech Republic.
The ambassador emphasized the Czech Republic’s recognition of Vietnam as a priority partner and a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. He also underscored education as a promising field of cooperation, with a growing number of Vietnamese students opting for affordable, high-standard European education in the Czech Republic. Opportunities for collaboration in tourism, culture, and labor were also spotlighted, including Vietnam’s recent decision to exempt visas for Czech citizens traveling in groups for tourism purposes.
A Thriving Vietnamese Community
The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, comprising approximately 100,000 people, is the third-largest ethnic minority in the country and the third-largest Vietnamese community in Europe. Hoàng Đình Thắng, Chairman of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, praised the community’s industriousness and contributions to the host country, noting its unified and regulated organizational structure.
At the meeting, community members presented recommendations, including the organization of the Great National Solidarity Festival abroad, restoring Vietnamese citizenship, and establishing a direct flight route between Prague and Hà Nội.
Strengthening Ties and Supporting the Diaspora
Prime Minister Chính expressed pride in the Vietnamese community’s achievements, noting its significant role in fostering Vietnam–Czech relations. He highlighted that the Czech Republic was the first country globally to officially recognize the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority, a testament to the efforts of both the community and Vietnam’s diplomatic and political systems.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to supporting its citizens abroad as part of the great national unity bloc. He emphasized the government’s ongoing efforts to amend laws and regulations on nationality, identification, land, and housing to safeguard the rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese.
Promoting Bilateral Relations in the New Context
The visit also marks the beginning of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Czech Republic (1950–2025). Prime Minister Chính emphasized the enduring nature of the partnership, which has remained resilient despite global changes, and outlined plans to elevate cooperation in trade, investment, education, culture, defense, and people-to-people exchanges.
Addressing participants’ concerns, the Prime Minister pledged to propose adjustments to the Law on Vietnamese Nationality, enhance aviation connectivity between the two countries, and further promote ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
PM Chính urged the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic to continue advising the Party and State effectively, ensuring timely measures to strengthen the relationship between the two nations, which are rooted in a 75-year tradition of mutual respect and shared values.
