Blanar: We Want to Turn Our Good Relations with Kuwait into Tangible Results

Kuwait City, 7 October (TASR) - Slovakia is keen to strengthen its economic ties with Kuwait and to translate the high level of political dialogue into concrete trade and investment partnerships, stated Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) in Kuwait on Wednesday, TASR learnt from the ministry's communications department on the same day. An opportunity to establish new contacts between businesspeople from both countries was provided by Wednesday's Slovak-Kuwaiti Business Forum, which was opened by the Slovak foreign minister and attended by representatives of nine Slovak companies, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), Slovakia Travel and the Slovak-Saudi Chamber of Commerce. "I came to Kuwait with a Slovak business delegation because Slovakia can offer expertise and experience in areas in which we want to further develop cooperation. Our ambition is to strengthen economic ties and thus build on the good level of our political relations," said Blanar. According to him, Slovak exports to Kuwait reached almost €226 million euros last year, while imports amounted to €0.9 million. "Although the automotive industry currently dominates Slovak exports, our ambition is to gradually expand Slovakia's economic presence on the Kuwaiti market to include other sectors. We see particular potential in medicine, spa tourism, water management, infrastructure, advanced technologies, tourism and the defence industry," emphasised Slovakia's chief diplomat. According to Blanar, it is the health-care and spa sectors that offer scope for boosting the existing ties between the two countries. Kuwaitis have long visited Slovak spa facilities, with several thousand doing so in recent years. Interest in Slovak spa tourism is linked not only to therapeutic stays but also to investment in property in the vicinity of spa towns. Slovakia is also keen to boost Kuwaiti investment, stated the minister, adding that he sees scope for mutually beneficial investment partnerships in the energy sector, data centres, industrial and logistics parks, strategic infrastructure and technology projects. Blanar described the reopening of a Slovak Embassy in Kuwait as an important step in strengthening Slovak-Kuwaiti economic relations. In his view, this isn't merely a matter of restoring diplomatic presence, but also of creating better conditions for supporting Slovak entrepreneurs, developing institutional contacts and fostering new economic opportunities. am/df