Joint Statement on upgrading Viet Nam-Czech Republic relations to strategic partnership

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1950, Viet Nam and Czechia have fostered and developed a strong traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation based on trust, equality, and mutual respect, for the benefit of their peoples.

Building on the significant achievements of bilateral relations across all areas over the past 75 years, along with the immense potential for further cooperation and the firm belief in the promising future of these ties, and with the aim of meeting the aspirations of both peoples, His Excellency Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and His Excellency Mr. Petr Fiala,

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic hereby issue this Joint Statement on upgrading Viet Nam - Czechia relations to a Strategic Partnership during the official visit by Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the Czech Republic from January 18^th to 20^th, 2025.

This new partnership aims to elevate bilateral relations to a new height and enhance both bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This upgraded framework also seeks to strengthen existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, enhancing their effectiveness, and creating new ones.

The Viet Nam - Czechia relationship is founded firmly on shared principles based on similarities in interests and on compliance with the United Nations Charter and the general principles agreed upon in the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and Viet Nam, of the other part: respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and political system of each country; non-interference in each country's internal affairs; mutual respect and benefit;

a commitment to global free trade, advancement of international law and multilateralism, and the promotion of peace, security and prosperity in line with the UN Charter.

Under this Strategic Partnership, Viet Nam and Czechia will further intensify their cooperation in the following areas, ensuring tangible benefits for their peoples and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and prosperity both regionally and globally.

DEEPENING POLITICAL COOPERATION AND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Both sides are committed to promote top-level visits and dialogue between

Viet Nam and Czechia, and to seek regular visits and dialogues by Ministers and other senior officials in both directions.

Both sides aspire to further bolster relations in legislative and political party channels including promoting dialogues, exchanges and discussions on each side's priority areas and practical experience.

Within this new framework, both sides are committed to strengthening the political consultation mechanism at the senior level while expanding policy consultations, dialogues, and exchanges between the departments and institutes of their respective Foreign Ministries. Besides that both sides are also considering to establish Strategic Dialogue on diplomacy, defense and security at the deputy ministerial level led by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and with participation of other line ministries.

STRENGTHENING DEFENSE AND SECURITY COOPERATION

Both sides expressed their readiness to promote exchanges of delegations at all levels to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defense and security, enhance the exchange of information on strategic defense and security issues, cooperation in defense industry and exchange of personnel and training.

Both sides intend to bolster cooperation of security and police forces. Both countries' law enforcement agencies will enhance the exchange of information and experience, and coordination in the fight and prevention of transnational organized crimes, particularly cybercrimes, drugs-related offenses, and newly emerging crimes affecting environment and sustainable development, in accordance with the 2017 Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Crime and with relevant laws and obligations.

STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP, TRADE, AND INVESTMENT RELATIONS

Economic cooperation has been identified as one of the major pillars of bilateral relations, and building on the Agreement on Economic Cooperation between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Government of the Czech Republic, both sides are committed to enhance the role and effectiveness of the Viet Nam - Czechia Intergovernmental Committee on economic cooperation led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. At the same time, both sides will encourage the establishment of sectoral sub-committees within the Intergovernmental Committee to review and assess the implementation of existing agreements, as well as to recommend measures to unlock opportunities in trade, investment and industrial cooperation, striving for a level of bilateral trade turnover commensurate with the Strategic Partnership.

Both sides are willing to create favourable conditions for businesses and investors to operate in each other's market through cooperation and support for trade promotion activities. Both sides are also willing to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation in areas, including but not limited to infrastructure development, transport, civil aviation, renewable energy, green technology, pharmaceuticals, mineral mining and processing, mechanical engineering, specialized machinery, and automotive industry.

Both sides highlight the importance of an open, fair, transparent and

non-discriminatory environment for trade and investment based on international rules. Both sides will take advantage of the opportunities within the framework of the EU - Viet Nam partnership, coordinate in the active and effective implementation of the EU - Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and encourage the completion of ratification and implementation of the EU - Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). Both sides will support each other in fostering economic cooperation and improving market access in ASEAN and the EU.

Both sides desire stronger agricultural cooperation and mutual information exchange on regulations, standards and technical requirements for quality control and food safety in agriculture, forestry and fishery, to cooperate in building an agricultural supply chain between the two countries, to build joint models for technology application in agricultural production and advance research cooperation, and promote genetic exchange of livestock and crops, biotechnology, and animal feed production.

THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN CZECHIA

Both sides will work more closely together to facilitate the integration of the Vietnamese community in Czechia, enabling them to further contribute positively to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two nations.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

Both sides reiterate their commitment to conclude and implement the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Education, and promote direct cooperation between their respective universities and research institutes in areas where Viet Nam and Czechia enjoy advantages.

Both sides will advance cooperation in traditional domains such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, environmental technology, agricultural and fishery technologies, information and communication technologies, and will expand collaborations to manufacturing mechanical engineering and mining (the research on and extraction, refining and quality evaluation of rare earth metals).

Both sides will deepen cooperation in science, research and innovations. They will bolster cooperation in digital economy and digital transformation. They will promote collaborations between the universities of both countries, research institutes and businesses in the research and development of digital transformation products and solutions, and new technologies.

Both sides reiterate their commitment to develop and strengthen measures that promote research security and integrity, in line with the laws of both countries, to prevent the exploitation of the open research environment and common research results by third parties.

ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND HEALTHCARE

Both sides are willing to intensify cooperation in and sharing of technologies and experience in circular economy and waste management, water treatment, clean water supply and rural environmental sanitation, transfer advanced technologies for wastewater treatment, and promote cooperation in mining, rare earth metal extraction, and energy transition.

Both sides will consider expanding cooperation in the manufacturing of medical equipment, investment into and technology transfer to produce specialized and rare medicines.

TOURISM

Both sides expressed their readiness to encourage air carriers to collaborate and explore opening direct flights to strengthen cultural, transport and people-to-people ties. They will create the most favourable conditions for tourism facilitation. Both sides endeavour to strengthen cooperation in sharing experience in and the promotion of tourism and develop human resources in the tourism sector.

CULTURE

Both sides commit to creating conditions to promote greater understanding between the peoples of both countries. They will encourage networks to consolidate links and collaboration in arts and culture. Both sides will support the establishment and operation of the Vietnamese Cultural Center in Prague and the Czech Cultural Center in Hanoi, established by their respective governments. Both sides will jointly work to promote cultural cooperation in various fields including direct contact between cultural institutions to facilitate better understanding of each other's culture.

HIGHLY SKILLED LABOUR

Both sides will consider more effective cooperation in highly skilled labour migration. Vietnam requested the Czech side to consider facilitating labour migration from Vietnam to Czechia. Any such considerations of facilitation of highly skilled labour would be contingent on appropriate security and return guarantees provided by the Vietnamese side.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE COOPERATION

Both sides are willing to enhance cooperation between their local and regional authorities and social and professional organizations to tap into their complementarities and advance connectivity across various areas, including trade, investment, education and cultural exchanges, to bring about concrete benefits to both sides and strengthen the friendship between Viet Nam and Czechia.

COOPERATION AT MULTILATERAL FORUMS

Both sides are ready to bolster exchange of views, forge deeper and broader cooperation, commit to closer coordination of their respective positions, and consider mutual support at international organizations and regional and multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, WTO, ASEAN-EU, ASEM and OECD, among other frameworks. They will strengthen consultation of their respective positions on regional and international issues, work together to address both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including epidemics, climate change, terrorism, water, energy and food security, cooperate in pursuing sustainable development and advancing trade liberalization and regional economic connectivity.

Both Viet Nam and Czechia support multilateralism and full respect and adherence to international law, the settlement of disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law, especially the UN Charter without the threat or use of force. Both sides stress the importance of the maintenance of peace, stability, the advancement of security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight, unhindered commerce and the primacy of the rule of law in the seas in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

On Ukraine, both sides emphasized the need for establishing a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

Based on the contents of the Joint Statement, Foreign Ministers of the two countries will be responsible for coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to facilitate an action plan as soon as possible to realize initiatives in the aforesaid areas.

This document is made public on January 20^th, 2025 in three language versions in the English, Vietnamese and Czech languages.