Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Slovakia on the second leg of his three-nation European tour, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country since Slovakia gained independence in 1993.
During his two-day visit to Bratislava, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. He is also expected to meet leading Slovak business representatives to explore opportunities for expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Shortly after his arrival, Modi emphasized the significance of the visit, stating that it would help deepen relations between India and Slovakia and create new avenues for collaboration.
“This visit provides an opportunity to deepen India-Slovakia relations and explore new avenues of cooperation. Looking forward to productive meetings with President Pellegrini and Prime Minister Fico,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.
The Indian Prime Minister arrived in Slovakia after concluding engagements in France, where he held bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and attended the inauguration of the Bharat Innovates event in Nice.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Modi was welcomed by Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár and received a traditional bread-and-salt welcome, a longstanding Slovak symbol of hospitality, respect, and goodwill.
Ahead of the visit, Modi described the trip as historic and noted that it builds on the growing momentum in relations between the two nations. He expressed confidence that discussions with Slovak leaders and business representatives would further strengthen cooperation in several key sectors.
The MEA highlighted that the visit follows a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries, including Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s state visit to Slovakia in April 2025 and President Pellegrini’s visit to India for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
India and Slovakia are expected to discuss enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, automobile manufacturing, railway production, and emerging technologies. New Delhi also views the visit as an opportunity to strengthen its broader engagement with the European Union, of which Slovakia is a member.
Following his visit to Slovakia, Modi is scheduled to attend the G7 Summit in Evian, France, on June 16–17, where he is expected to participate in discussions on global cooperation, economic growth, and artificial intelligence, while also holding a number of bilateral meetings.
The final leg of his European tour will take him to Paris on June 18, where he will participate in VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest technology and startup event, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Source: India Today
