Truly historic day for Slovakia, says President Peter Pellegrini after meeting PM Modi
Bratislava, June 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini witnessed a yoga demonstration in Bratislava on Monday, during the PM's visit to the Central European nation.
Ahead of the International Day of Yoga on June 21, a Yoga camp was organised at the presidential palace of Slovakia. Slovakian youth practised Yoga in the presence of PM Modi and President Pellagrini as both leaders held a meeting at the palace.
"A truly historic day for Slovakia! Honored to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the first-ever official visit by an Indian PM to our country. I congratulated him on becoming India's longest continuously serving democratically elected Prime Minister. This milestone reflects public trust, perseverance and years of service to his country," Pellegrini wrote on X.
"Building on our excellent meeting in New Delhi this February, we are taking our cooperation to the next level. Today we focused on stronger trade, new technologies, nuclear energy, space, and closer ties between our people. We are transforming our 30+ years of diplomatic relations into a dynamic, highly practical alliance that delivers real results for our citizens," he mentioned.
The Slovakian President also posted a selfie with PM Modi.
"I am glad that Narendra Modi and I can build on the open and friendly dialogue we began during my visit to New Delhi this February," he wrote.
Earlier in the day, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico congratulated PM Modi on becoming India's longest continuously serving democratically elected Prime Minister, terming it as a "political miracle".
Addressing a joint press meet in Bratislava along with PM Modi, following their bilateral discussions, Fico lauded his Indian counterpart's leadership skills and India's becoming a leading power during his tenure.
"I cannot omit the political stability which you represent Mr Prime Minister in India. I congratulate you to the fact that you are the longest serving Prime Minister in India," said Fico.
"Consecutively for 12 years, in such a difficult environment, when you have so many political parties in such a comprehensive environment, this is like a political miracle. I want to congratulate you for this," he added.
Fico also lauded India's economic growth, digital transformation and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), stating that India is "ahead of many advanced countries."
"Distinguished Prime Minister, I congratulate you for the results in all areas which you have achieved. Allow me to mention one area where you dominate actually, it is the field of digitalisation and the use of Artificial Intelligence. You have come so far that you are actually faster than countries from Western Europe like France or the Germany. You are ahead of many advanced countries in different parts of the world. I would like to congratulate you for the economic growth which is amazing. What would European Union do it could achieve 6-7 per cent growth? Unfortunately we are struggling in the European Union with the question of competitiveness which is in conflict with two ambitious climate goals," Fico noted.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Impressive diplomatic success for India. But I can't help thinking—while we celebrate these global relations, what about the common Indian? The poverty numbers and unemployment rates at home deserve equal attention. A selfie with a foreign leader is nice, but let's not forget the basics.
The way Slovak PM Fico called Modi's 12-year tenure a "political miracle" in such a chaotic political environment is spot on! We take our democracy for granted but managing coalition politics for so long is no joke. And the nuclear energy cooperation with Slovakia—clean energy partnerships are exactly what we need. 🙏
Nice to see PM Modi promoting yoga abroad—it's genuinely our soft power success. But I wish the article focused more on actual trade deals rather than just the yoga display. What concrete outcomes came from the meeting? "Stronger trade" and "new technologies" are vague. Show me numbers.
First-ever official visit by an Indian PM to Slovakia—that's a big deal! 🇮🇳🤝🇸🇰 And the Slovak President posting a selfie shows the personal rapport. This is how diplomacy works: building trust through cultural connections like yoga and then moving to serious cooperation in space and nuclear energy. Well played, PM.
The fact that a European leader calls India "ahead of many advanced countries" in AI and digitalization is something we should all feel proud about. UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker—these are genuine achievements. But also raises the question: are we focusing too much on tech while basic education and healthcare lag behind
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.