2025: A NEW MILESTONE IN CZECHIA-VIETNAM RELATIONS

Text: H.E. Mr. Duong Hoai Nam; Photo: Vietnam Government Portal (VGP), Tuan Hoang

The year 2025 is opening up a historic new chapter in Vietnam-Czechia relations, as the Prime Ministers of the two countries have endorsed a Joint Statement on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. This endorsement occurred on 20th January 2025, during the official visit of H.E. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Czech Republic. The visit coincided with the 75th anniversary celebrations of Vietnam-Czechia diplomatic relations.

Within the framework of the official visit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks and meetings with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, President Petr Pavel, President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil, as well as with time-tested Czech friends. He also extended New Year greetings to the Vietnamese community at the 2025 Xuan Que Huong (Homeland Spring) program in Sapa Trade Center – known as “Little Vietnam” in Prague. The Prime Minister spent time with outstanding Vietnamese businesses in Czechia and Europe, as well as with leaders of some leading Czech businesses. He also addressed the Vietnamese-Czech Business Forum.

Here are some highlights of the visit, and an overview of the time-tested relationship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic over the past 75 years.

Political and diplomatic relations

Over the last three quarters of a century, Vietnam and Czechia have built a partnership and friendship grounded on shared interests, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties. The two countries have made great strides toward deepening bilateral cooperation in recent years, and the upgrade in the official status of the relationship is a testament to the converging strategic interests, enhanced mutual political trust, and flourishing trade and investment ties between the two countries.

The Strategic Partnership underscores both sides’ commitment to bringing the bilateral relationship to new heights and provides a mechanism to facilitate cooperation in all areas, including political and diplomatic relations, trade and economic ties, defense and security, science and technology, education and training, labor, climate change and energy, digital transformation and innovation, environment and health, people-to-people ties, as well as culture, sports, and tourism.

Trade and investment

Since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) entered into force in 2020, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Czechia has grown dramatically, providing a strong foundation for the relationship. The two-way trade volume between Vietnam and the Czech Republic reached approximately US$ 3.8 billion in 2024, marking a 26% increase from the same period in 2023. Vietnam is now Czechia’s key partner in ASEAN and a gateway connecting this block with Europe, while the Czech Republic is Vietnam’s leading trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

In investment, Skoda Auto is collaborating with Thanh Cong Group in Quang Ninh to produce cars, with a US$ 500 million investment, while Sev.en Global Investments is raising its stake to 70% in the Mong Duong 2 power plant, the largest Czech investment in Vietnam.

With those encouraging developments and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), once ratified, the target of US$ 5 billion in trade between Vietnam and Czechia set by the Prime Ministers of the two countries is highly feasible in the coming years.

Defense and security

Defense and security links between Vietnam and Czechia continue to grow. Both sides are determined to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation in this area, advance the exchange of information on strategic defense and security issues, foster cooperation in defense industry and military trade, improve personnel training, and enhance collaboration in peacekeeping operations.

Both countries’ law enforcement agencies are working closely to enhance the exchange of information and experience, as well as coordinating in the fight against and the prevention of transnational organized crimes – particularly cybercrimes, drugs-related offenses, and newly emerging crimes affecting the environment and sustainable development.

Science and technology

Vietnam and the Czech Republic endeavor to improve collaboration in crucial and emerging technologies in each other’s markets. The two countries are exploring new areas of cooperation together, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, environmental technology, mining, agricultural and fishery technologies, and information and communication technologies. Both sides still have significant potential and room to expand cooperation into areas such as green transformation, digital foresight, renewable energy, and innovation policy.

Education and training

The Czech Republic is increasingly becoming an attractive education destination for Vietnamese students, with a couple thousands of Vietnamese students currently studying in Czechia. Cooperation between universities of the two countries in joint research and cross-border education has been enhanced. The establishment of the Ton Duc Thang University Representative Office in the Czech Republic in October 2024 is a vivid case in point. It laid the groundwork for the Agreement on Education signed between the two countries during the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the Czech Republic earlier this year. The Agreement aims to promote connections between universities and research institutes, foster training linkages, and facilitate the exchange of lecturers and students between Vietnam and Czechia.

Culture, tourism and people-to-people ties

Cooperation in culture has always been a priority in the Vietnam-Czechia ties. Over the past few years, the two countries have made great efforts to consolidate links and collaboration in arts and culture, with a view to promoting greater understanding between the two peoples. The two countries have strongly supported each other in establishing both the Czech Cultural Center in Hanoi and the Vietnamese Cultural Center in Prague. A number of cultural events and festivities are expected to be organized by both sides this year to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Czech Republic.

Tourism has become one of the major sectors of Vietnam’s economy in recent years, with an estimated tourism sector GDP contribution of over 6.4% last year. Endowed with many beautiful landscapes, white sand beaches, and eight outstanding UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign tourists. More and more Czech people are spending their holidays on various beaches stretching along Vietnam such as Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and so on. To facilitate tourism between the two countries, the Government of Vietnam decided to unilaterally waive visas for Czech citizens going to Vietnam as tourists, effective in March 2025 – this was announced during the official visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Czechia last month. Both sides are also working closely together to expedite the opening of direct flights between the two countries in order to strengthen cultural, transport, and people exchange.

Perhaps most vital to the two nations’ future is people-to-people ties. They have been and continue to be the very heart of the bilateral relations, particularly when the Strategic Partnership came into being in January 2024. This includes 100,000 Vietnamese people currently residing in Czechia, who strengthen communities all across the Heart of Europe every single day, and are making meaningful contributions to the socio-economic development of the country. They also serve as a bridge connecting the two nations.

It can be said that the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the Czech Republic presents a holistic picture of the enormous potential that exists in our economic relationship, as well as setting out a roadmap for both countries to reach that potential.

In this light, there are reasons to believe that the Strategic Partnership will certainly make the bond between Vietnam and Czechia even stronger, more robust and more substantive.

By H.E. Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Ambassador E&P of the S.R. of Vietnam to the Czech Republic On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations