PM Modi to begin historic Slovakia visit today to boost bilateral ties, economic cooperation
New Delhi, June 14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a state visit to Slovakia on Sunday at the invitation of his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico.
This will mark the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country's independence in 1993, making it a historic milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
During the Slovakia visit, PM Modi will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Fico and meet President Peter Pellegrini. The discussions are expected to explore new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, automobile manufacturing and railway infrastructure. The visit is being viewed as a significant step towards strengthening political, economic and industrial engagement between India and Slovakia.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the visit "will reaffirm India's commitment to strengthening its bilateral relationship with Slovakia across various sectors".
India's Ambassador to Slovakia, Apoorva Srivastava, highlighted the importance of the visit, saying it would help deepen ties beyond diplomacy.
"This is a historic and important trip. This is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister since the country's independence in 1993. This is very important in itself. This trip will not only strengthen our political relations, but also economic security and people-to-people contacts," Ambassador Apoorva Srivastava told IANS in an interview.
According to the Ambassador, Prime Minister Modi will meet with the CEOs of several major companies in Slovakia during the visit.
She noted that many Slovak companies have already invested in India and that over the last three years, five major business groups have visited India to expand commercial ties and investment opportunities.
"Slovakia has just launched its Indo-Pacific strategy in December 2025. They have given a lot of importance to the Indo-Pacific region, not only trade and technology, but also to increasing the political relationship," the Ambassador highlighted.
Ahead of the visit, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini welcomed the Indian Prime Minister and described the trip as historic.
"Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I look forward to welcoming you in Bratislava on Monday. Your historic visit will build on our good dialogue from New Delhi and open new opportunities for Slovakia-India cooperation." President Pelligrini wrote on X.
Following the Slovakia visit, PM Modi will return to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian on June 16-17, where he will engage with leaders of G7 countries and invited partner nations, along with heads of international organisations.
On June 18, the Prime Minister will travel to Paris for additional bilateral meetings and attend the VivaTech Summit, Europe's largest technology and startup event. He is also expected to address members of the Indian community during his Paris visit.
— IANS
Reader Comments
First visit since 1993? That's quite a gap. Good that we're finally engaging with smaller but developed European nations. But I hope this isn't just photo ops and fancy talks - we need concrete outcomes like investment in our manufacturing sector and technology transfer.
As an American following international relations, it's interesting to see India's global outreach. Slovakia's Indo-Pacific strategy aligning with India's interests shows how interconnected geopolitics has become. Modi is certainly a busy man - Slovakia, G7, France - truly global statesman.
This is excellent diplomacy. Europe needs to diversify its partnerships beyond China, and India is the natural democratic partner. The auto and railway focus is clever - Slovakia is a European auto hub, and we need their expertise for our train modernisation. Well played, PM!
Impressive that the Slovak President personally welcomed Modi on social media. Bet the opposition won't cover this visit much. But honestly, we need to be more critical - why did it take 30+ years to visit a friendly nation? Our foreign policy under previous governments seemed to ignore smaller European countries.
Love how our PM is balancing big summits like G7 with building ties with smaller nations. This people-to-people contact the ambassador mentioned is key - more Indian students and professionals in Slovakia, more Slovak tourists here. Win-win for everyone! 👏
R We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.