Wednesday, 22/09/2021 09:33 (GMT+7)
The Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Business Association in the Czech Republic on September 19 held a forum promoting trade and investment between the two countries.
At the forum (Photo: baotintuc.vn)
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung highlighted the importance of trade and investment promotion, particularly when both countries and others are seeking solutions for post-pandemic recovery.
The forum aims to help firms discuss issues related to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) so that they can come up with more suitable business plans and strategies, he said.
In the first half of 2021, trade between the countries reached 936 million USD, up 28 percent on-year, thanks to both sides’ efforts and the EVFTA’s impact.
During the forum, participants focused their discussion on opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises with the coming-into-force of the EVFTA, and challenges for trade and investment promotion amid COVID-19.
They talked about problems in cooperation and seeking partnerships. They also gave initiatives to help the relevant Vietnamese agencies support Vietnamese firms in recovering production and business, and in boosting collaboration with partners from the EU and the Czech Republic.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the forum, Mr. Nguyen Manh Tung, Former Head of a Young Entrepreneurs’ Association in the Czech Republic, said that many Czech businesses now want to learn about their Vietnamese peers, Vietnam's export products, and changes brought about by the EVFTA to find opportunities for cooperation.
According to him, their biggest restrictions are the language barrier and a shortage of information on Vietnamese companies and products. He recommended boosting the sharing of Vietnam’s production and logistics processes for the Czech side./.
BTA