By HE M Khalid Jamali
“Pehlay Bata phir School”, generations of Pakistanis; including myself, have grown up with Bata Shoes. In 1938 Bata Shoe Company established a shoe factory near Lahore marking the establishment of a long-standing bond of friendship, diplomatic and economic relations between Pakistan and the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic; then Czechoslovakia, was one of the first Central European countries to have established diplomatic relations with Pakistan in September 1950. While this marked the start of a formal relationship, the public interaction between the peoples of the two countries started as early as 1920’s. Professor Vincenc Lesny delivered lectures at the Government College Lahore, the works of Karel Capek translated into Urdu and the Khaksar Movement deeply impressed by the Sokol movement of Czechoslovakia. More recently, this relationship has been cemented between the two countries with Mr. Pavel Bem, former Mayor of Prague being conferred with the Presidential Civil Award of Sitara -E- Imtiaz in 2020 for his services to Pakistan. In 2020, the establishment of Pakistan’s popular online craft marketplace; a social enterprise, “Vceela” is a testament of close cultural ties as the name is coined by the amalgamation of Czech and Urdu words, Vcela & Waseela respectively. Vcela is the word for honey bee, representing its industriousness and Waseela means building connectivity.
Economic relations between the two countries is long standing with Czech companies providing power turbines at Mangla as early as the 1970’s and more recently SKODA power as the original equipment manufacturer of turbines at Orient and Sapphire power plants established in the private sector. Furthermore, Czech companies have provided equipment, technical support and training for radars to the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.
While bilateral trade between the two countries stood at Euro 148 Million in 2019 the scope for expansion of economic relations is wide and open for exploration. In September 2021, Skoda Motors signed an assembly agreement with Premier Automobiles, Pakistan to establish a factory in Hub, Balochistan. In 2023, It is expected that Skoda Crossover vehicles will be rolled out through local assembly.This marks the return of the famed Skoda brand & the assembly agreement of the first European automobile brand in Pakistan. With this success close cooperation is currently being explored in the area of agricultural equipment manufacturing especially for small tractors with a confidentiality agreement signed between a Czech and Pakistani agricultural equipment manufacturer. These are indicative of the potential for cooperation, technology transfer and increasing trade and investment between the two countries. To further this cooperation both countries have agreed in principle to sign an Economic Cooperation, Trade and Investment Protection agreement. The official signing of this has been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.
Pakistan and the Czech Republic also have close defence production cooperation with Czech companies upgrading the P.O.F Wah Brass Mill among other areas of support. This close cooperation has been recently cemented with a comprehensive Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in October 2021 between the two countries in Prague, Czech Republic.
The potential for cooperation and people to people contact between the two countries is immense specially in the areas of IT labor market, commodity trading higher education and alpine tourism. Currently, these areas are underrepresented between the two countries. Pakistani students have contributed to Czech research the areas of textile technology, chemistry and agriculture. Pakistani post-doctoral Fellow Ali Zafar invention of a trademarked battery is pending approval in Luxembourg as part of his work at the FZU Institute of Physics at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.
As a new government is set to take office in November 2021 after the recently concluded general elections in the Czech Republic, Pakistan continues to look forward to close cooperation at a bilateral and international level. With greater people to people contact the fraternal ties between the two countries will not only grow but cement the strong relationship built since 1950 for another 70 years to come.
By HE M Khalid Jamali
“Pehlay Bata phir School”, generations of Pakistanis; including myself, have grown up with Bata Shoes. In 1938 Bata Shoe Company established a shoe factory near Lahore marking the establishment of a long-standing bond of friendship, diplomatic and economic relations between Pakistan and the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic; then Czechoslovakia, was one of the first Central European countries to have established diplomatic relations with Pakistan in September 1950. While this marked the start of a formal relationship, the public interaction between the peoples of the two countries started as early as 1920’s. Professor Vincenc Lesny delivered lectures at the Government College Lahore, the works of Karel Capek translated into Urdu and the Khaksar Movement deeply impressed by the Sokol movement of Czechoslovakia. More recently, this relationship has been cemented between the two countries with Mr. Pavel Bem, former Mayor of Prague being conferred with the Presidential Civil Award of Sitara -E- Imtiaz in 2020 for his services to Pakistan. In 2020, the establishment of Pakistan’s popular online craft marketplace; a social enterprise, “Vceela” is a testament of close cultural ties as the name is coined by the amalgamation of Czech and Urdu words, Vcela & Waseela respectively. Vcela is the word for honey bee, representing its industriousness and Waseela means building connectivity.
Economic relations between the two countries is long standing with Czech companies providing power turbines at Mangla as early as the 1970’s and more recently SKODA power as the original equipment manufacturer of turbines at Orient and Sapphire power plants established in the private sector. Furthermore, Czech companies have provided equipment, technical support and training for radars to the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan.
While bilateral trade between the two countries stood at Euro 148 Million in 2019 the scope for expansion of economic relations is wide and open for exploration. In September 2021, Skoda Motors signed an assembly agreement with Premier Automobiles, Pakistan to establish a factory in Hub, Balochistan. In 2023, It is expected that Skoda Crossover vehicles will be rolled out through local assembly.This marks the return of the famed Skoda brand & the assembly agreement of the first European automobile brand in Pakistan. With this success close cooperation is currently being explored in the area of agricultural equipment manufacturing especially for small tractors with a confidentiality agreement signed between a Czech and Pakistani agricultural equipment manufacturer. These are indicative of the potential for cooperation, technology transfer and increasing trade and investment between the two countries. To further this cooperation both countries have agreed in principle to sign an Economic Cooperation, Trade and Investment Protection agreement. The official signing of this has been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.
Pakistan and the Czech Republic also have close defence production cooperation with Czech companies upgrading the P.O.F Wah Brass Mill among other areas of support. This close cooperation has been recently cemented with a comprehensive Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in October 2021 between the two countries in Prague, Czech Republic.
The potential for cooperation and people to people contact between the two countries is immense specially in the areas of IT labor market, commodity trading higher education and alpine tourism. Currently, these areas are underrepresented between the two countries. Pakistani students have contributed to Czech research the areas of textile technology, chemistry and agriculture. Pakistani post-doctoral Fellow Ali Zafar invention of a trademarked battery is pending approval in Luxembourg as part of his work at the FZU Institute of Physics at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.
As a new government is set to take office in November 2021 after the recently concluded general elections in the Czech Republic, Pakistan continues to look forward to close cooperation at a bilateral and international level. With greater people to people contact the fraternal ties between the two countries will not only grow but cement the strong relationship built since 1950 for another 70 years to come.
Writer is a seasoned diplomat and Pakistan’s ambassador to Czech Republic
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