President of United Arab Emirates Arrives in Slovakia

Bratislava, 29 July (TASR) - President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has arrived in Slovakia for a working visit on Wednesday, TASR has reported, referring to a story published by WAM agency. The Emirati head of state is accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, advisor to the UAE president; and a number of ministers and senior officials. Two independent sources in Slovakia have also confirmed the president's visit to TASR. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) met with the UAE's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Bratislava in March. During the meeting, he extended an invitation to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed to pay an official visit to Slovakia. The leaders had already met in October last year during the Slovak prime minister's visit to Abu Dhabi. At that time, Fico discussed with the UAE president ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a number of sectors, including trade, renewable energy, innovation, future technologies and culture. The delegations signed an agreement to strengthen mutual economic relations and a memorandum on increasing investment ties. The premier stated at the time that they had found a common willingness to cooperate in the field of transport infrastructure, mentioning, for example, a port on the Danube, as well as the defence industry. Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD), Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee), Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD), and Foreign Ministry and Economy Ministry State Secretaries Marek Estok and Vladimir Simonak also took part in the visit to the UAE. Fico and Sheikh Mohammed also spoke on the phone in January and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation in various areas. am