Slovakia and Italy Confirm Interest in Cooperation in Multiple Areas

Bratislava, 22 January (TASR) – Representatives of Slovakia's Export-Import Bank (Eximbanka) held high-level talks with Italy's export credit agency SACE as part of a business mission led by House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) during his working trip to Italy earlier this week, TASR has learnt from information provided by Eximbanka on Thursday. Both parties to the talks confirmed their interest in closer cooperation in promising areas such as energy, defence and infrastructure projects, with a focus on nuclear energy and small modular reactors in particular. The mission focused primarily on Slovak solutions in the fields of sustainable energy and construction, in which Slovak companies possess technologies and know-how that has attracted growing interest on the Italian market. Eximbanka is ready to support these projects throughout their entire life cycle, from export-oriented production to the implementation of contracts abroad. "Our goal is to be a partner for Slovak companies as they embark on comprehensive and capital-intensive projects. Through appropriate financial products, we are able to support export-oriented production, insure against risks and open the door to international partnerships," stressed Eximbanka general director Rastislav Podhorec. Eximbanka and SACE also discussed cooperation and a coordinated approach in involving Slovak and Italian companies in large engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects on global markets. In this context, Eximbanka is actively offering its available insurance capacity to partner institutions and global banks in exchange for involving Slovak exporters in international projects. Italy has long been among Slovakia's most significant export destinations. Historically, Eximbanka has supported exports of Slovak companies to Italy reaching a volume of nearly €2 billion, thereby confirming the strategic importance of this market for Slovakia's economy. jrg/df