Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with for promoting cultural exchanges and bilateral cooperation.

Czech Republic has decided to reopen its tourism office in India.

Speaking at the India-Czech Republic Business Forum organized by FICCI here on Thursday the visiting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said : “ a MoU is being worked upon to facilitate a hassle-free movement of the business community by providing multiple entry visas between India and the Czech Republic.”

He said that after the Czech Republic decided to move outside the EU nations to forge new ties and business relations with other countries, it identified India as one of the 12 priority countries for enhancing business relations.

The Czech Foreign Minister also met and discussed with the Indian Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, earlier in the day.

Kohout also emphasized that the state should play a supporting role for the business community. Innovation, research and development must be the basis for establishing cooperation between agencies with the use of new technologies, he said.

The Joint Secretary in the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Sumanta Chaudhuri said “there are great business and investment opportunities for India and the Czech Republic and both now have a positive outlook towards developing these opportunities.”

Indian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ashok Venkatesan said that in 2011, trade between India and the Czech Republic stood at $1.5 billion but slumped in 2012. But there is no need to worry as the trade prospects were bright and the numbers would increase.

However, the Czech Ambassador to India, Miloslav Stasek, said that the two nations should explore new avenues for collaboration such as pharmaceuticals, new technologies and tourism to name a few.

Kohout also met the Indian Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Praful Patel and exchanged views on various possibilities for further strengthening the bilateral relations, especially in the field of infrastructure and heavy industry. Patel said that Czech companies have vast potential for establishing joint ventures with public/private enterprises of India as the Czech products can be more competitive than from the US or other European countries. He pointed to the fact that Czech companies already enjoy a high goodwill in the Indian market. Patel also said that Defence sector can be one of the emerging sectors in which Czech Republic can contribute. He expressed the view that besides industry, there is huge potential in the field of tourism as Czech Republic can inspire more of its people to visit India.

Czech Minister pointed to the competitiveness of Czech machinery and offered his country’s superior heavy machinery in the field of agriculture, textile, railways. He informed the Indian side that his country is already moving ahead in the direction of promoting tourism with India and by next year, the Czech Tourism Office will reopen in India.

The Indian Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch with Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kohout and Czech Culture Jiri Balvin inaugurated an exhibition titled ‘Czech Castles’ in the historic Red Fort. The Exhibition “Czech Castles” has been organized for the first time in India in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Culture, National Museum of the Czech Republic and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in India.

Speaking on the occasion Katoch said, “it is a momentous day for our two countries. The bond that was established in 1959 when a cultural agreement was signed between the two countries has been further strengthened today. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the ASI and the National Museum of the Czech Republic on the occasion will further promote cultural exchange and bilateral cooperation.”

She said India has a culture of forts and castles and in June this year only 6 hills forts in Rajasthan have received UNESCO’s approval as World Heritage Sites. It is therefore extremely delightful that the Czech Republic has presented an important and attractive part of its national cultural heritage through large images, photographs of castles and stately homes via this exhibition.

To augment the inauguration ceremony at the Red Fort, a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Museum of the Czech Republic and the Archaeological Survey of India was signed during the opening ceremony. The MoU will form the basis for more active cooperation between the two institutes.

Czech Castle architecture is an important part of the cultural heritage of the Czech Republic. The Exhibition presents a selection of 37 most interesting castles and chateaux of Bohemia and Moravia, two of the historic areas that make up the Czech state. The criterion for the selection of the localities has been their historical significance as well as their architectural, artistic, and historical value.

The inauguration ceremony was accompanied by live performance of the Czech classical music group “Spork Quartet”. The exhibition is accompanied by rich cultural program consisting of film shows, art exhibitions, music presentations and other events that will together celebrate the Czech-India Cultural Year 2014.

The Exhibition will stay at the Red Fort, Delhi till January 2014 and then tour various other cities of India. After Delhi, the exhibition will be presented in Leh (Leh Palace, June-July 2014), Kolkata (Currency Building September – October 2014), Mumbai (Nehru Science Centre, November 2014) and Goa –Panaji (Kala Academy, December 2014 – January 2015).