India's Ambassador to Slovakia, Apoorva Srivastava, on Saturday, 13 June said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Bratislava will strengthen political relations, economic security, and people-to-people contacts between the two nations. The visit marks the first by an Indian Prime Minister since Slovakia's independence in 1993, making it a landmark moment in bilateral diplomacy.

Why This Visit Is Historic

'This is a historic and important trip. This is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister since the country's independence in 1993. This is very important in itself. This trip will not only strengthen our political relations, but also economic security and people-to-people contacts,' Ambassador Srivastava said in an interview.

The significance of the visit extends beyond symbolism. It comes at a time when India and Slovakia are deepening engagement across trade, technology, and strategic alignment — particularly in the context of the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Bilateral Trade Crosses €1.6 Billion in 2025

Ambassador Srivastava highlighted the sharp upward trajectory in economic ties. 'If you look at the last two-three years, the economic relations between India and Slovakia have increased a lot and very rapidly. In 2024, for the first time, we crossed the threshold of 1 billion Euros. And in 2025, we reached 1.6 billion Euros. So you can see how fast it is moving forward,' she said.

She described Slovakia as a 'gateway to Europe' for Indian companies, noting that the country's talent and technology remain strategically important for India. The India-EU FTA, she said, opens 'limitless' possibilities across several sectors.

CEO Meetings and Business Outreach

According to Ambassador Srivastava, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet the chief executives of several major Slovak companies during the visit. In the last three years, five major Slovak business groups have visited India with the aim of expanding bilateral commercial ties.

This comes amid Slovakia's launch of its Indo-Pacific strategy in December 2025, which assigns significant priority to the Indo-Pacific region — covering not just trade and technology, but also deepening political engagement. The strategy signals a broader European interest in aligning with India as a key Indo-Pacific partner.

Slovak President Welcomes the Visit

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini welcomed the visit ahead of the Prime Minister's arrival. 'Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I look forward to welcoming you in Bratislava on Monday. Your historic visit will build on our good dialogue from New Delhi and open new opportunities for Slovakia–India cooperation,' President Pellegrini wrote on X.

The visit is expected to produce outcomes across political, economic, and strategic dimensions, with the India-EU FTA providing a fresh institutional framework to accelerate cooperation. All eyes will be on the joint statements and business agreements that emerge from Bratislava this week.