Hanoi (VNA) - The Czech Republic always regards the Vietnamese community as part of its people, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milan Stech﷽ told Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during 𓂃their meeting in Hanoi on November 17.

Senate President Milan Stech is on an official visit to Vietnam. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the Senate President’s visit is significant as the countries are celebrating the 65th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and applauded the sound growth of their time-honoured amity and multifaceted cooperation, including between their parliaments. He stressed that Vietnam has continually treasured its ties with the Czech Republic and wants to join hands with the latter in developing relations in all fields, ultimately benefiting their peoples. Despite substantial progress, bilateral cooperation remains below the countries’ potential and aspiration, he noted, suggesting expanding the partnership in economics, trade, investment, tourism, education-training, science-technology, energy, agriculture, health care, environment, and defence-security. PM Nguyen Tan Dung also called on the Czech Republic to support the European Parliament’s early approval of the Vietnam – European Union Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA), the singing of the EU –Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and recognise Vietnam’s full market economy status soon. He said he hopes the country will facilitate the Vietnamese community’s residence stability so they could contribute more to local development and the nations’ connections. At the meeting, Senate President Milan Stech noted the two’s growing political, diplomatic and people-to-people relations. The big Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic has been well integrating into the local society and actively donating to the countries’ friendship, he stressed. He stated that his country attaches importance to collaboration with Vietnam across the board, especially in economics, trade and investment. The two sides should design and ink several agreements to create a legal framework for their partnership, in particular in research and development, he added. The official affirmed the Czech Republic supports and will urge the European Parliament to approve the PCA and sign the EVFTA as soon as possible.-VNA