Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Slovakia will provide fresh momentum to bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation in areas ranging from trade and technology to people-to-people exchanges, India’s Ambassador to Slovakia, Apoorva Srivastava, said on Saturday.
Describing the visit as historic, Ambassador Srivastava noted that it would be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country gained independence in 1993.
“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,” she told IANS.
The Ambassador highlighted the rapid growth in economic ties between the two countries in recent years. She said bilateral trade crossed the one-billion-euro mark for the first time in 2024 and expanded further to 1.6 billion euros in 2025.
“If you look at the last two-three years, the economic relations between India and Slovakia have increased a lot and very rapidly. In 2024, for the first time, we crossed the threshold of 1 billion Euros. And in 2025, we reached 1.6 billion Euros. So you can see how fast it is moving forward,” she said.
According to the envoy, Slovakia is emerging as an important gateway for Indian businesses seeking access to European markets. She also underlined the relevance of Slovak expertise in technology and innovation for India’s development goals.
Referring to ongoing discussions on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, she said the scope for cooperation across multiple sectors remains vast.
The Ambassador also revealed that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet chief executives of several leading Slovak companies during the visit. She noted that Slovak businesses have shown growing interest in India, with several firms investing in the country and multiple business delegations travelling to India in recent years.
Highlighting Slovakia’s strategic outlook, Srivastava pointed out that the country unveiled its Indo-Pacific Strategy in December 2025, placing greater emphasis on engagement with the region in areas such as trade, technology and political cooperation.
“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,” she said.
Ahead of the visit, Peter Pellegrini welcomed Prime Minister Modi and expressed optimism about the future of bilateral ties.
In a message posted on X, President Pellegrini said, “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.”
-IANS
