Nigeria and the Czech Republic have agreed to deepen political, economic and security cooperation as both countries seek to expand their longstanding bilateral relationship.
The agreement followed a bilateral meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Czech Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petr Macinka, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23.
The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen political engagement between both countries, including regular consultations between their foreign ministries to sustain high-level dialogue and advance areas of mutual interest.
Economic cooperation featured prominently during the meeting, with Nigeria highlighting investment opportunities in sectors including industry, infrastructure, technology and innovation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu encouraged Czech businesses to increase their participation in Nigeria’s economy, while both sides recognised trade and investment as key drivers of bilateral economic cooperation.
The ministers also discussed defence and security cooperation, acknowledging the growing collaboration between Nigeria and the Czech Republic.
They explored opportunities to expand the partnership in support of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism and broader national security objectives.
Nigeria stressed the importance of complementing defence cooperation with technology transfer, local capacity building, maintenance capabilities and joint ventures that could support sustainable industrial development.
Consular and mobility issues were also discussed, with Nigeria calling for predictable and transparent visa processes for Nigerian students, researchers, businesspeople and professionals seeking opportunities in the Czech Republic.
Both ministers acknowledged that easier people-to-people exchanges could further strengthen relations between the two countries.
The discussions also covered major multilateral issues, including reform of the United Nations and its Security Council, international peace and security, sustainable development, climate action and digital governance.
Nigeria and the Czech Republic also discussed the need for greater representation of developing countries in global decision-making institutions.
The meeting ended with both countries reaffirming their commitment to sustained cooperation and expressing confidence in the future of their bilateral relations.
The engagement formed part of Nigeria’s diplomatic activities on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly, which is holding in New York from September 22 to 28.
