President Moon Jae-in, currently in Hungary for a state visit, held a summit with Prime Minister Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic on the sidelines of the 2nd V4-Korea Summit today. The two leaders had extensive discussions on pending issues of interest to both countries, including how to substantively expand bilateral cooperation.

They noted the fact that the two countries have steadily advanced cooperation in diverse areas, including political affairs, the economy and culture, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990. The two leaders, in particular, hailed bilateral trade reaching a record high of US$3.6 billion last year, despite the COVID-19 situation.

President Moon said, “The Czech Republic is fostering high value-added, future industries such as artificial intelligence through its 2019–2030 Innovation Strategy. I look forward to our two countries further widening the path toward common prosperity by linking your Innovation Strategy to our Korean New Deal.”

In reply, Prime Minister Babis said that the Czech Republic is the best country to invest in across Europe as it boasts abundant skilled and creative human resources and low tax rates. In addition, the Prime Minister praised Korea’s technological prowess in the construction of nuclear power plants and said he hoped that relevant discussions would proceed well with his country’s new Administration.

Moreover, Prime Minister Babis expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation with Korea in the field of healthcare such as cancer treatments. In reply, President Moon proposed that Korea and the Czech Republic – which is advanced in medical science – engage in mutual cooperation in the healthcare sector, including cancer treatments and COVID-19 vaccines. 

The two leaders agreed to bolster mutual cooperation and support on the global stage, including in major international organizations.

President Moon concluded the summit by saying, “I look forward to the Prime Minister’s continued interest so that Korea and the Czech Republic can further advance our strategic partnership by expanding the areas of cooperation to include nuclear power plants and the defense industry.”