Czech President Petr Pavel will travel to Australia and New Zealand on Friday, for the first such visit at the presidential level in almost 30 years. The main goal of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations in trade, defence, security, and science, the Presidential Office told reporters on Wednesday.
During the nearly two-week trip, Pavel will hold talks with the Australian and New Zealand prime ministers, the governors-general of both countries, the governors of New South Wales and South Australia, and the New Zealand defence minister. He will also visit the Sydney Opera House, universities and technology centres.
The last Czech President to visit the region was Vaclav Havel, who went on an official visit to Australia in the spring of 1995.
According to the Presidential Office, both Australia and New Zealand are interested in European products and technologies in the fields of energy, mining, defence and security, agriculture and food, environmental technologies, healthcare, and innovative technologies, including space. Last year, Australia was the fifth most important export destination in the Asia and Oceania region, with an export volume of CZK 13.4 billion.
The Presidential Office said a free trade agreement with the European Union could help further development, but negotiations on this failed in 2022. However, an agreement between the EU and New Zealand has been in force since May. Pavel will be accompanied by a business delegation from the Czech Confederation of Industry representing 16 Czech firms, and will also launch business forums in Sydney and Auckland.
Jan Rafaj, head of the Confederation, told CTK on Thursday that the firms hope to expand cooperation and boost new business relations mainly in aviation, the space industry, cyber security, research and innovation.
“The business mission underlines our commitment to promote international cooperation, build strategic partnerships and seek new business avenues in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “We are confident that this trip will contribute significantly to strengthening economic ties between the Czech Republic, Australia and New Zealand. By engaging in productive dialogue and cooperation, we seek to open new avenues for investment, trade and cooperation that will benefit all involved.”
Australia is the world’s 13th largest economy, and data from the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade shows that it was the 38th most important export partner of the Czech Republic last year, with exports at CZK 13.4 billion. Exports of Czech companies to New Zealand were at 3.42 billion crowns.
Beyond economic and trade links, the Presidential Office said that both countries have an important role to play in the Indo-Pacific region, and strengthening cooperation is also key to strengthening democracies and balancing the influence of China and Russia. The office also described both Australia and New Zealand as active partners in addressing global issues such as climate change, security in the Indo-Pacific and the protection of human rights.
The President’s visit will also see the inauguration of the new Czech Embassy building in Canberra, replacing a temporary embassy that has been in use for several years.
Pavel will also meet representatives of the Czech community in Australia, which is growing steadily and is one of the largest in the world, numbering tens of thousands.
