PRAGUE, Czech Republic — President Petr Pavel said the Czech Minister of Agriculture and a group of Czech businessmen will travel to the Philippines soon with specific proposals to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

Pavel made the announcement at a press conference with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Prague Castle on Thursday afternoon (Prague time).

“Very soon, our Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný shall visit the Philippines with a large delegation of our businessmen with specific, particular plans to offer,” Pavel said, underlining the purposeful nature of the forthcoming visit.

Výborný’s visit aligns with the mutual efforts of both nations to enhance collaboration in food security.

Výborný will discuss the issue with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and spearhead the business forum scheduled for Makati on 21 March.

The delegation will also travel to the Davao Region for a business forum, and a tour of the Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. (Tadeco) farm the next day.

Highlighting Czech businesses’ diverse expertise, Pavel said Czech companies have meticulously crafted plans to foster future cooperation with the Philippines.

“We also have companies that are involved in the defense industry, manufacturing, farming and agriculture, science, technology, energy, the power sector,” Pavel said.

The Czech Republic was among the partners of the Philippines that offered support in analyzing and enhancing value chains within the Philippine dairy sector.

The Czech Aid-for-Trade approved the National Dairy Authority’s proposal to finance the technical exchange of experts. The initiative is aligned with the Department of Agriculture’s five-year plan to increase milk production in the country from one to 10 percent.

The NDA successfully carried out two projects in collaboration with the Czech Republic: Expert Assistance on the Comprehensive Analysis of the Supply Chain of the Philippine Dairy Industry in 2018 and the Strengthening Capacities of Dairy Farmers and Extension Workers project in 2019.

Meticulously crafted

The Czech President also emphasized that these companies have meticulously crafted plans geared towards fostering future cooperation with the Philippines.

During his visit, Marcos has invited the Czech Republic companies to invest in its critical minerals sector in the country to bolster its mineral processing capabilities and secure a stable supply chain in the Philippines.

At the Philippines-Czech Business Forum here on Friday morning (local time), Marcos Jr. emphasized the potential for collaboration in this sector as he highlighted the expertise of the Czech Republic in this field.

“The expertise of the Czech Republic in minerals processing is of particular interest to us,” Marcos said.

“Hence, we invite Czech companies to invest in the processing of our critical minerals, offering a robust diversification plan that can mitigate the risks of global supply chain disruptions as we have seen in the recent years,”