Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and India agree on a strategic partnership focusing on innovation

From 9 to 11 January 2024, Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited India, where he addressed the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit investment conference in Gandhinagar. He also met with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, with whom he discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations, the development of trade and cooperation in the energy sector and joint scientific research projects. The two leaders also agreed to enter into a strategic partnership focusing on innovation.

In his address at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Prime Minister Fiala introduced successful Czech companies and the main sectors of our economy. He also focused on key priorities for the future - promoting innovation and high value-added industry and the importance of applied research that benefits citizens.

An important topic of the meeting with Prime Minister Modi was cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactors. The prime ministers also endorsed the Joint Declaration on the Czech-Indian strategic partnership in innovation. “It is a declaration that creates a framework for cooperation between public institutions, schools and research companies in the Czech Republic and India, and covers a number of areas - medicine, artificial intelligence, cybernetics and others. The adoption of this declaration takes our relations to a higher level,” said the Czech Prime Minister.

The prime ministers supported the further development of trade between the two countries. India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It is a huge market that presents great opportunities for our entrepreneurs. “Traditional Czech brands such as Škoda, Tatra and Baťa have a good reputation in the country. We must continue to develop trade relations. India is a very promising partner for us. Czech exports to India reached a record CZK 25 billion last year and there is great potential for us to increase them even further,” said Prime Minister Fiala. There is great potential for economic cooperation in the automotive industry, transport, aviation, railway development, the defence industry and mining. The topic of the leaders’ meeting included the possibility of importing Indian lions for Prague Zoo. It is true that Prague Zoo is already breeding these animals, but their reproduction is failing. That is why the zoo plans to expand their breeding.

The Prime Minister also met with Mozambican President Philip Nyusi, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang.