Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife meet with the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic

According to the VNA special correspondent, within the framework of the official visit to the Czech Republic, on the evening of January 18th local time, in Prague, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife Le Thi Bich Tran, and the high-level Vietnamese delegation met with officials and staff of the Embassy and the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

Photo caption — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife with officials and staff of the Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. Photo: Duong Gian/VNA.

At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Duong Hoai Nam reported that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the Czech Republic have developed positively in recent years. The Czech Republic currently considers Vietnam a priority partner and a gateway to the Asia- Pacific region. Bilateral trade has increased very rapidly, doubling on average every five years, reaching US$2.9 billion in 2023 and soaring to US$3.8 billion in 2024, with Vietnam exporting US$3.3 billion to the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic was the first country in the EU to ratify the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Education is a very promising area of cooperation, with an increasing number of Vietnamese students studying in the Czech Republic with European educational standards, but with a university degree lasting only three years and at an affordable cost. Both sides also have great opportunities to promote cooperation in tourism, culture, and labor, especially the Vietnamese government's decision to waive visas for Czech citizens entering for group tourism purposes, regardless of passport type, which will be a major boost. The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic currently numbers around 100,000 people, making it the third largest ethnic minority community in the Czech Republic and also the third largest Vietnamese community in Europe, always united and oriented towards their homeland. Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang, Member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, stated that the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is considered hardworking, diligent, and makes positive contributions to the development of the host country and bilateral relations. It is one of the most organized and well-structured Vietnamese communities in the world. Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang and other Vietnamese expatriates attending the meeting raised several suggestions and proposals related to participating in and organizing the National Unity Day far from their homeland; regaining Vietnamese citizenship; and opening a direct flight route between Prague and Hanoi. Sharing his thoughts with embassy staff and overseas Vietnamese, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his delight at the continuous growth and development of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, affirming its position and role in the host country, demonstrating the capabilities and intelligence of Vietnamese people, living and working in accordance with the law, with many becoming wealthy and the Vietnamese intellectual class also developing. In particular, the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is the first Vietnamese community in the world to be recognized by a country as a legal minority. This achievement is thanks to the efforts of the political system under the leadership of the Party, diplomatic representative agencies, and the community.

The Prime Minister stated that this visit aims to elevate bilateral relations to a new level and launch the year commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1950-2025), with traditional friendship and many core values; promoting cooperation in the fields of politics and diplomacy, trade, investment, culture, education, defense, security, and people-to-people exchanges. The Prime Minister emphasized that while the world is undergoing many changes, the relationship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic remains unaffected, its long-standing traditions are increasingly strengthened and developed, and it is becoming even better. “It has been good in recent years, but in the coming years we must do even better. This is the law of development, and also the wish of both the Czech Republic and Vietnam, especially of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic,” the Prime Minister stressed.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is expected to request that the Czech Republic's authorities at all levels continue to create more favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study, work, and integrate further into local society, maximizing their potential and contributing to the development of the Czech Republic and the friendly relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam always care about and consider the Vietnamese community abroad as an inseparable part of the national unity. Institutionalizing the Party's guidelines, we have been and are continuing to amend, supplement, and perfect laws and regulations related to nationality, identity, land, housing, etc., to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese people abroad. At the same time, in the new context, the Prime Minister believes that a change in approach is needed to maximize the potential, development space, unique opportunities, and competitive advantages in the bilateral relationship. Along with promoting the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), we need to accelerate the ratification of the EVIPA Agreement, have appropriate visa policies, labor policies and citizenship regulations, and boost transportation connectivity…

Responding to the suggestions and recommendations from the Vietnamese community, the Prime Minister stated that the Government will report and propose to the competent authorities amendments and additions to the Vietnamese Nationality Law; discuss with the Vietnam Fatherland Front the proposed content regarding the organization of the National Unity Day; and direct relevant agencies and units to promote air connectivity between Vietnam and the Czech Republic, including researching the possibility of connecting flights. The Prime Minister said he would assign relevant sectors and agencies, according to their authority, to carry out specific tasks with the spirit of "what is said must be done, what is committed must be fulfilled, and what is done must yield concrete results." Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Embassy to closely monitor and accurately assess the situation in a timely manner to advise the Party and State, proposing clear responsibilities, tasks, timelines, and tangible outcomes; contributing to the further development of the 75-year-old relationship between the two countries, with its core values continuing to flourish. Furthermore, we must continue to do a good job in supporting Vietnamese people abroad, building a system and network of communities, and most importantly, finding ways to reach out to our compatriots as quickly as possible when they face difficulties, hardships, or crises. We must treat them like family members, put ourselves in their shoes, and resolve issues with all our hearts, absolutely avoiding negativity and harassment.