President Pellegrini to Make Official Visit to Azerbaijan on Monday

Bratislava, 11 July (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini will travel to Azerbaijan on an official visit on Monday (13 July) at the invitation of President Ilham Aliyev, the President's Office reported on Saturday. The visit follows the first-ever trip to Slovakia by an Azerbaijani head of state in December last year. Accompanying the president will be Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD), Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (both Voice-SD), and Slovak Central Bank Governor Peter Kazimir. The key event of the visit will be Tuesday's (14 July) meeting between the two presidents in the Karabakh region. Discussions will focus on deepening energy cooperation, supporting Slovak exports, expanding industrial and technological cooperation, and improving transport links between the two countries. The leaders will also discuss the possible involvement of Slovak partners in reconstruction and development projects in conflict-affected areas. Pellegrini is also slated to visit the Agdam region, where he will tour the Smart Village project in Bas Garvand and lay the foundation stone for a new school to be named after General Milan Rastislav Stefanik. On Wednesday (15 July), the president will hold talks in Baku with Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Sahiba Gafarova. In addition, he's scheduled to meet Vladimir Fekete, the Apostolic Prefect serving in Azerbaijan. During his stay in the capital, Pellegrini will lay a wreath at the Alley of Martyrs and pay tribute at the grave of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev. A Slovak-Azerbaijani Business Forum will also be held in Baku alongside the president's programme, with the participation of Slovak business representatives. The aim of the forum is to provide opportunities, expand trade cooperation, establish new partnerships, and support Slovak companies seeking to enter the Azerbaijani market. "The continuation of political dialogue at the highest level between Bratislava and Baku confirms both countries' commitment to developing bilateral relations in areas of strategic importance for future development — from energy security and economic cooperation to innovation, transport and technological partnerships," the President's Office said. mf