Visiting Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung and his Czech counterpart, Mirek Topolanek, held talks following an official welcome for the former in Prague on September 12.

The two government leaders discussed ways to further strengthen and deepen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and the Czech Republic.

Both host and guest expressed their delight with the growing bilateral relations, particularly in economic cooperation and two-way trade that stood at 130 million USD in 2006, doubling the figure five years ago. Czech investors have to date invested 40 million USD in 11 projects in the Southeast Asian country.

PM Dzung and PM Topolanek agreed to urge ministries, sectors and enterprises to fully tap areas in which they have strengths to raise trade value between Viet Nam and the Czech Republic in the coming time.

The two PMs pledged to continue creating favourable conditions for businesses from the two nations to establish direct ties and increase the exchange of information in a bid to boost trade and investment bonds.

They emphasised the need to immediately implement pacts signed in 2006, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation programmes between the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a contract to finance the Phu Son cement plant project in northern Ninh Binh province, and another MoU on supporting seven major projects in the energy, building materials and food processing industries.

PM Dzung and PM Topolanek also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern and agreed to continue coordination at international organisations and forums. They affirmed mutual support for Viet Nam’s and the Czech Republic’s bids for non-permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council in the 2008-2009 term.

After their talks, the two government leaders signed a joint statement and witnessed the signing of an agreement on returning illegal immigrants and a protocol on the implementation of the agreement.-(VNA)