Vietnam-Czech: Building bridges of friendship, shaping a shared future

The event was attended by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, President of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, representatives of Czech ministries and agencies, heads of diplomatic missions, international friends and a large number of representatives from the Vietnamese community in Czech.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Czech Duong Hoai Nam delivers opening remarks at the ceremony.

In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Czech Duong Hoai Nam underscored the sacred significance of September 2 for every Vietnamese person. Eighty-one years ago, at Ba Dinh Square, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and opening an era of national independence, freedom and sovereignty.

According to the ambassador, throughout its national development, Vietnam has always valued the support and solidarity of international friends, including former Czechoslovakia and present-day Czech. In 1950, Czechoslovakia became one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, laying the foundation for a friendship that generations of leaders and people of both countries have continued to preserve and strengthen.

Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam affirmed that Vietnam-Czech relations are entering a new phase of development within the framework of the Strategic Partnership, with considerable room for expanded cooperation in the economy, trade, defence, education, science and technology, as well as other areas where the two sides have complementary strengths.

The ambassador highly appreciated the support of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and expressed his confidence that the Czech prime minister’s planned visit to Vietnam in the second half of November, accompanied by a business delegation, would provide fresh momentum for bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Vietnamese Ambassador to Czech Duong Hoai Nam.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that although Vietnam and Czech are geographically distant, the two countries share close ties, with their people serving as the strongest and most enduring foundation.

The prime minister praised the contributions of the Vietnamese community to Czech society, particularly its diligence, entrepreneurial spirit and emphasis on family and education. Younger generations of Vietnamese-Czech people are increasingly making their mark across various fields, becoming bridges connecting the two cultures.

On the economic front, Prime Minister Babiš affirmed that Vietnam is an important trading partner of Czech in Southeast Asia. The two countries are expanding cooperation in industry, energy, transport, aviation, technology and a range of emerging sectors.

He particularly highlighted preparations to launch a direct Prague-Hanoi air route as a vivid symbol of the increasingly close ties between the two countries, helping promote people-to-people exchanges and strengthen connections among families, businesses, students and tourists.

President of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura also underscored the role of the Vietnamese community, noting that those who studied and worked in Czechoslovakia and Czech had developed deep ties with their host country. These connections have been passed down through generations, creating a strong social foundation for bilateral relations.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček said Vietnam is currently Czech’s most important trading partner in Southeast Asia. Bilateral trade reached approximately US$5 billion for the first time in 2025 and is expected to rise to around US$7 billion this year.

A cultural performance at the ceremony.

A number of Czech companies, including Škoda Auto, OMNIPOL, F AIR and ENELEX, have been operating in Vietnam in areas such as automobiles, energy, aviation, defence, mining and industry. The inauguration and operation of the joint assembly plant between Škoda Auto and Thanh Cong Group in Quang Ninh has been viewed as an important milestone, opening further prospects for Czech businesses to gain deeper access to the Vietnamese and wider ASEAN markets.

In the opposite direction, Vietnamese products such as electronics, software, mobile phones, footwear, coffee, fruit and cashew nuts are becoming increasingly visible in the Czech market. Minister Havlíček said Vietnam’s rapid economic, infrastructure and high-tech industrial development was creating numerous opportunities for Czech businesses to expand investment and cooperation.

On the occasion of the National Day, the Ho Chi Minh President’s Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, in coordination with the Embassy of Vietnam in Czech, organised a thematic exhibition in Prague entitled “President Ho Chi Minh - A Journey of Connecting and Spreading the Spirit of International Solidarity”, commemorating President Ho Chi Minh’s 1957 visit to Czechoslovakia and important milestones in bilateral relations.

The exhibition features photographs and documents on President Ho Chi Minh’s life, revolutionary career, ideology, morality and style, highlighting values of peace, friendship and international solidarity. Materials on Vietnam-Czechoslovakia and Vietnam-Czech relations also offer the public a deeper understanding of the historical journey and close bonds between the two peoples.

The 81st anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day in Prague provides an occasion for the Vietnamese community to express its attachment to the homeland.

Building on more than seven decades of historical ties, high-level visits, economic cooperation projects, cultural exchanges and the contributions of the Vietnamese community, Vietnam-Czech relations continue to be strengthened on the basis of trust and shared interests.

The 81st anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day in Prague provided an occasion for the Vietnamese community to turn its thoughts toward the homeland while reaffirming the friendship between the two peoples. With a longstanding relationship and strong commitment from the leaders and people of both countries, the Vietnam-Czech Strategic Partnership is expected to continue developing in greater depth, substance and effectiveness, contributing positively to peace, stability and shared prosperity.

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