A team of business delegates, officials of Czech Chamber of Commerce, representative of senate, Prague zoo and Czech media led by Foreign minister H.E Jan Kohout visits Bhutan from November 8-10, 2013, as part of south-Asia tour by the Foreign minister. The foreign minister is accompanied by Deputy minister of environment Mr. Tomas Tesar.
According to a press statement issued by the Czech embassy in New Delhi dated November 6, the visit is the first official one by Czech minister after diplomatic relation between Bhutan and Czech republic was established in December 2011. The visit is aimed to deepen the bilateral dialogue and support the business and development cooperation. According to Kuensel, the czech delegates meets with the bhutanese entrepreneurs and have discussion on various areas of investment like sugar industry, real estate, ICT, health and tourism.
One delegate and sales representative with ZVU Potez, Franktisek Vaigl said, “Discussion with Bhutanese company have been going on for six months and it is about beer.” The BCCI secretary general Phub Tshering explained about the areas of cooperation which Bhutan seeks to get from the Czech republic.
The press statement of Czech embassy received by BNS from an unofficial email reads, “Minister Jan Kohout is meeting with the Prime minister of Bhutan and also with ministers of Home and cultural affairs, Minister of economic affairs, Education minister, Foreign minister and the Secretary of National Environment Commission. Minister Kohout will also seek audience with HM King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk and Queen mother Her Majesty Sangay Choden Wangchuk”.
The press statement further reads, “The Czech Republic is ready to offer the investment together with financial assistance provided by the Czech Export Bank, in the most prosperous sector such as hydro-power and renewable energy, tourism, civil aviation or food processing.” In 2008, Czech Republic financed the project, ‘Voices’ aimed at empowering women in villages of Bhutan that was carried out by RENEW. This year, the funded project was ‘Mass Disaster Preparedness’ in schools carried out in collaboration with Department of Disaster Management and Department of School Education.
