India and Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic, have had a long history of warm and friendly relations, with cultural and trade links dating back to the medieval ages.
India established diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia in 1947, and the two countries have since exchanged high-level visits, including those by former Indian presidents and prime ministers.
Today, both India and the Czech Republic have established close relations when it comes to trade, investment, and tourism. India and the Czech Republic have a rich history of cultural and economic ties, and their major areas of cooperation can be categorized into several sectors:
Trade and Investment: India and the Czech Republic have established close relations in terms of trade, investment, and tourism. The bilateral economic relations gained momentum after the Czech Republic gained entry into the European Union in 2004. New mechanisms and diversified interaction thereafter resulted in the revival of bilateral trade to more than US $ 3.16 billion in 2022, from just US $ 86 million in 1993 as per Czech statistics.
Defense: The bilateral Defence Cooperation gained momentum with the signing of the MoU on Bilateral Defence Cooperation in October 2003. Accordingly, a Joint Defence Committee has been set up. So far six such meetings of JDC have taken place with the last meeting taking place in New Delhi on 3 February 2020. The Czech defense companies have been regularly supplying military equipment to Indian armed forces.
Science, Technology, and Research: The two countries have a history of collaboration in the science and technology sectors, with Indian companies investing in the Czech Republic in areas like IT, vehicles, tea, textile, pharmaceutical, and auto-components. India and the Czech Republic are working on niche technologies given the latter’s strength as the incubator of Technologies in strategic sectors such as defense, nuclear energy, cyber security, AI, Big Data, nanotechnology, laser, etc. In June 2017, ISRO launched the Czech nanosatellite -VZLUSAT-1, the first Czech technological satellite.
Education and Culture: India and the Czech Republic have a long tradition of cultural exchange, with several agreements in place to promote cooperation in culture, education, and science. Czech educational institutions – particularly technical universities and medical colleges, are working with their Indian counterparts through exchange programs. There are about 1500 Indian students studying medicine, engineering, life sciences, and physical sciences in various Czech universities.
Air Services: The two countries have signed bilateral air service agreements to strengthen their air connectivity, with direct civil aviation links existing until 1991 and renewed in 1997.
Double Taxation Avoidance: A Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement was signed in October 1998 to promote economic cooperation and development between the two countries.
Economic Collaboration: India and the Czech Republic have been working on strengthening their economic relations through frequent exchanges and initiatives, such as the proposed renegotiation of the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPPA).
In the medieval ages, the Kingdom of Bohemia (now a part of the Czech Republic) traded with India in precious goods and Indian spices.
During the Czech National Revival- a cultural movement that took place during the 18th and 19th centuries to revive the Czech language, culture, and national identity, prominent Czech scholars were inspired by ancient Indian culture. They found a similarity between Czech and the mother of all languages, Sanskrit.
Recently, on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala have agreed to strengthen mutual ties and tap into the untapped potential for innovation cooperation. The leaders have decided to elevate India-Czechia relations in innovative sectors to a Strategic Partnership on Innovation.
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