President: Cooperation with India Offers Opportunities for Economic Growth (2)

Bratislava, 15 June (TASR) - The first-ever official visit by an Indian prime minister to Slovakia has confirmed the growing momentum in relations between the two countries and the ambition to take them to a new level, President Peter Pellegrini stated on Monday after receiving Indian Premier Narendra Modi at the Presidential Palace, TASR was told by the President's Office. The Slovak head of state described the visit as a significant moment in relations between the two countries, which, according to him, have gained new momentum in recent years. "Slovakia and India have enjoyed more than three decades of diplomatic relations. Today, however, we're creating a more comprehensive framework for our cooperation based on trust, predictability, and specific projects," he said. Pellegrini emphasised that, as an industrially strong country within the European Union, Slovakia has much to offer India. "Slovakia has a strong industrial base, experience in nuclear energy, a developed automotive sector, growing technology companies, and an interest in practical cooperation in areas that are important for the future of both countries," he said, adding that Slovakia and India see opportunities for cooperation, for example, in the defence industry, space technologies, and energy. "We're immensely proud that our first skCUBE satellite was launched into orbit by an Indian rocket. We're interested in developing cooperation in the space industry, nuclear energy, and high-value-added technologies as well," he stated. The president also praised the growth in mutual trade and the presence of Indian investments in Slovakia, citing the Jaguar Land Rover plant near Nitra, which belongs to the Tata Motors group, as the most visible example. "Our economic relations have become the backbone of our partnership. Slovakia is and will remain a stable and secure European hub for Indian investments," he pointed out. Another key subject of discussion was digitisation and the use of artificial intelligence. Pellegrini followed up on his February visit to India for the India AI Impact Summit and praised the country's technological development. "I'm very pleased to follow up on our February meeting in New Delhi. I came away with a strong impression of India's technological development, its innovative energy, and the ambition expressed in the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision," he noted. The meeting also addressed regional and global issues, including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. The head of state emphasised the need for diplomatic solutions and praised India's role as a significant global actor. According to him, Slovakia views India as a partner that has an important voice in today's changing world. "We're united by our interest in peace, stability, international law, and practical cooperation," he added. The president also praised the signing of several memoranda aimed at developing cooperation in strategic areas, noting, however, that it is important for the conclusions of today's talks, including the signed documents, to translate into specific projects, partnerships, and results. "It's important that today's agreements don't remain merely on paper. We need to translate them into specific projects that will yield results for Slovak and Indian companies, for our experts, and for the citizens of both countries," stressed Pellegrini. Slovak ministers and deputy ministers and their Indian counterparts signed a series of memoranda of understanding on Monday covering cooperation in defence, higher education and digitisation, with the agreements put to ink during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bratislava. During his visit, Modi also met Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD). NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final four paragraphs. am