Czech President supports lifting IUU 'yellow card' for Vietnam

On the afternoon of January 20 (local time), within the framework of his official visit to the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Czech President Petr Pavel.

During the meeting, President Petr Pavel welcomed and highly valued the official visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the high-ranking Vietnamese Government delegation, which coincided with the two countries’ celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950-2025). He regarded this as an important milestone to further promote Czech-Vietnam relations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed greetings from Vietnam’s Party, State, and National Assembly leaders. He affirmed that, in implementing its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization of international relations, Vietnam always values and seeks to strengthen ties with its traditional friends in Central and Eastern Europe, with the Czech Republic being a top priority partner.

Discussing directions and measures to deepen and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral relations, the two leaders agreed to strengthen exchanges and delegation visits at all levels, especially high-level ones, to build political trust and mutual understanding.

In the field of economic and trade cooperation, both sides agreed to fully and effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), aiming to raise bilateral trade turnover to USD 5 billion in the near future, and to facilitate greater market access for each other’s goods.

President Petr Pavel committed to advocating for other European countries to swiftly ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He also affirmed his support for the European Commission (EC) to consider lifting the IUU "yellow card" on Vietnam’s seafood exports. Both sides agreed that their governments would soon develop an action plan to implement the recently established Strategic Partnership.

Encouraging Czech businesses to expand investment in Vietnam, especially in sectors where the Czech Republic has strengths such as digital transformation, pharmaceuticals, food industry, manufacturing and processing industries, and mineral exploitation and processing.

The two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in areas such as security and defense, science and technology, innovation, education and training, culture, sports, music, arts, and people-to-people exchanges. President Petr Pavel appreciated Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption for Czech citizens in 2025 and expressed a desire to soon establish a direct flight route between Hanoi and Prague.

In response to President Petr Pavel’s interest in learning about Vietnam's human rights policies, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh explained that human rights in Vietnam are clearly stipulated in the Constitution and laws, emphasizing freedoms, the right to life, and the right to pursue happiness. Vietnam prioritizes social welfare and has excelled in this area, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to natural disasters. President Petr Pavel expressed gratitude and agreement with these insights, which helped the Czech Republic better understand Vietnam's sound policies on these matters.

On multilateral cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Petr Pavel agreed that the two countries would continue to work closely and support each other at multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations and in ASEAN-EU cooperation, contributing to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and globally.

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Prime Minister reiterated Vietnam's consistent position that all disputes and conflicts should be resolved through peaceful means, avoiding the use or threat of force, and adhering to the United Nations Charter and international law.

As a nation deeply affected by the ravages of war, Vietnam empathizes strongly and is willing to participate in efforts to seek a sustainable peaceful solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict with the involvement of relevant parties.