Prague, June 1 (CTK) – President President Milos Zeman will discuss cancellation of visas for Czech tourists and direct air connection during his visit to Vietnam next week, Rudolf Jindrak, director of the Presidential Office foreign department, told journalists on Thursday.
Zeman also wants to speak about business and problems with Czech investments with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang, Jindrak said.
In Kazakhstan, Zeman is supposed to meet the presidents of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and probably also Kazakhstan, Jindrak said.
Zeman will be accompanied by a large business mission of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic.
Zeman leaves for Vietnam on Monday and will continue to Kazakhstan next Thursday.
He returns to the Czech Republic on Saturday.
Zeman and Tran Dai Quang will speak about the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, Jindrak said.
They will discuss the unique situation of around 300,000 Vietnamese who have a personal experience with the Czech Republic as well as the criminal problems with some Vietnamese groups, Jindrak said.
Some Vietnamese gangs are implicated in drug dealing and money laundering in the Czech Republic.
The cancellation of visas for Czech tourists will also be on the agenda of the talks.
At present, Czechs who want to visit Vietnam must apply for e-visas. A direct air connection might help tourism.
Investments of Czech companies and their protection are also to be discussed.
The Vietnamese may try to gain the Czech Republic’s support in their territorial dispute over the South China Sea, Jindrak said, adding that the delegation would insist on the position of the EU which has adopted a reserved stance on the feud.
Zeman will be accompanied by deputy foreign, interior and trade and industry ministries.
There will be also Justice Minister Robert Pelikan (ANO) who will sign an extradition agreement in Hanoi. Thanks to it, the Czech Republic will be able to release the Vietnamese convicted of crime to Vietnam to serve their sentences there.
While on his visit to Hanoi, Zeman will lay a wreath at the War Memorial, Jindrak said, adding that he would also meet government, parliament and Communist party senior officials.
In Astana, Zeman will attend the opening ceremony of Expo 2017. During his visit to Astana in 2014, he promised Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to come to the event.
The Czech Republic will have its pavilion at the Expo Zeman will open.
