Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Slovakia for the second leg of his three-nation European tour, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country since it gained independence in 1993.
During his two-day stay in Bratislava, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. He will also engage with leading Slovak business executives to explore opportunities for expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.
Soon after his arrival, Modi said the visit would help deepen India-Slovakia ties and open new avenues of cooperation. “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,” he posted on X.
The prime minister arrived in Slovakia after concluding engagements in France, where he held bilateral discussions 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 Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanr and received a traditional bread-and-salt welcome, a symbol of hospitality, respect and goodwill in Slovakia.
Ahead of the visit, Modi described the trip as historic and said it builds on the growing momentum in bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that discussions with Slovak leaders and business representatives would further strengthen cooperation in key sectors.
The MEA said the visit follows a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries, including 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 expanding cooperation in trade, investment, automobile manufacturing, railway production and emerging technologies. New Delhi also views the visit as an opportunity to further strengthen its engagement with the European Union, of which Slovakia is a member.
After concluding his Slovakia visit, Modi will travel to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian on June 16-17. He is expected to hold discussions with G7 leaders and partner countries on global issues such as international cooperation, economic growth and artificial intelligence, besides holding a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
The final leg of his tour will take him to Paris on June 18, where he will attend VivaTech 2026, Europe’s largest technology and startup event, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
Source: India Today
--Agencies
