(VOVworld)- On Monday, President Truong Tan Sang began a 3-day state visit to the Czech Republic at the invitation of President Milos Zeman. President Sang will also visit Azerbaijan from May 13 to 15 at the invitation of President Ilham Aliev. The visits demonstrate Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with traditional friends.
President Truong Tan Sang and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev at the signing ceremony of bilateral cooperative agreements- Photo:Nguyen Khang.TTXVN
|
The Czech Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan are Vietnam’s traditional friends who were among the first countries that set up diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1950. Over the years, Vietnam’s relationship and cooperation with these two countries have developed steadily.
Heightening Vietnam-Czech relationship
Situated in a strategic location in Central Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and many major international organizations. In its foreign policy, it focuses on balancing the East-West relationship by enhancing its ties with Asian countries, including Vietnam.
Vietnam and the Czech Republic have regularly exchanged delegations at various levels, and supported each other at international forums. Two-way trade has increased rapidly, reaching more than 300 million USD in 2014. In 2012, the Czech Republic announced its National Export Strategy until 2020 under which Vietnam is the only ASEAN member state in the list of priority markets. The Czech Republic now has 36 investment projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of 64 million USD, ranking 42nd among 101 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The projects focus on real estate, beer, electrical equipment, and construction materials. The two countries have potential for cooperation in energy, transportation and mechanics. The Czech Republic has regularly attended international donor conferences for Vietnam. It has given Vietnam 18 million USD and provided Vietnam non-refundable aid in healthcare and environment projects. The Czech government has granted scholarships to Vietnamese university and graduate students and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Potential to boost ties with Azerbaijan
Vietnam and Azerbaijan have bolstered their traditional relationship since the latter was a member of the former Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has provided training for Vietnamese students and officials in various areas including oil and gas, a potential area for bilateral cooperation. The two countries signed an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders in 2010, inter-governmental agreements on economic, trade, and science and technology cooperation and on double taxation avoidance in May, 2014, and a Protocol on cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries in April, 2010. Both have regularly exchanged delegations and strengthened coordination at the UN and other international forums. In recent years, the Vietnam Oil and Gas group has stepped up oil and gas cooperation with Azerbaijan. The group opened a representative office in Azerbaijan in 2011. Bilateral trade reached 422 million USD last year. But the two countries still need to expand bilateral cooperation to exploit their good political relationship.
President Truong Tan Sang’s visits to the Czech Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan aim at strengthening bilateral friendship and multifaceted cooperation. During the visits, President Sang will discuss with the two countries’ leaders experiences in enhancing socio-economic development and ways to further bilateral cooperation. The visits will open a new chapter in the relationship between Vietnam and the Czech Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan.