THE Embassy of the Czech Republic in Manila successfully hosted the Czech Industry Forum 2023 in mid-April, in partnership with the Czech Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
Said forum was one of the highlights of the visit of the European country’s delegation to the Philippines led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic who was accompanied by CCC president Vladimír Dlouhý.
Participated by more than 100 business leaders and representatives from different institutions across the country, the “most anticipated forum—” as the embassy described, was officially opened by the Czech Republic’s prime minister Petr Fiala.
In his keynote, Fiala said: “The Philippines is a rapidly growing economy with an impressive [gross domestic product] rate, a dynamic work force, and ambitious modernization programs. Meanwhile, Czechia is known for [its] advanced manufacturing industry, cutting-edge technology, and innovative solutions.”
PCCI president George Barcelon underlined the growing importance of ties between the Philippines and the European Union: “Agriculture, defense, transportation, mining and energy, among many others, are industry strengths of the Philippines. It is important to remain consistent in renewing opportunities in trade and investment, especially between the Philippines and the Czech Republic.”
Meanwhile, CCC president Vladimír Dlouhý reiterated that the chamber is eager to establish more partnerships with local companies, as the country continues to exhibit positive economic image, credit rating, and foreign-direct investments.
Both chambers signed their memorandum of understanding during the forum. According to the embassy, it served as a huge step toward enhancing trade and economic links binding the two nations. Tesla Technologies’s CEO Petr Matějček and Smart Citi Teknologi’s CEO Mario Marcos also inked deals at the ceremony.
After the program, the attendees networked among businesses for possible connections. The conference also served as a platform for representatives from the government, chambers and business leaders from defense and security, banking and finance, manufacturing, logistics and health-care industries to discuss new trends and opportunities for both countries that may arise as the year unfolds.