New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a historic state visit to Slovakia from June 14 to 16, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Central European nation since its independence in 1993, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

Addressing a special briefing on the Prime Minister's visit to France and the Slovak Republic, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said, 'At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, our Prime Minister will pay a state visit to the Slovak Republic from June 14th to 16th. This visit is historic as it would be the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Slovak Republic since its independence in 1993.'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Bratislava on June 14 and will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the historic castle the following day before holding delegation-level and one-on-one talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

George said, 'Prime Minister will also interact with Slovak business leaders along with the Prime Minister of Slovakia to deepen economic engagement, boost investment flows, and expand cooperation across important sectors such as transportation, renewable energy, emerging technology, and defence production.'

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will also meet the Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Presidential Palace, where a state banquet will be hosted in his honour.

Highlighting the growing partnership between the two countries, George said, 'India and Slovakia share a very warm and cordial relationship. Bilateral engagements span across multiple sectors, including trade and investment, defence, space, nuclear, digitalisation, cybersecurity, skill development, academic, and cultural exchanges.'

He noted that bilateral ties have gathered momentum through reciprocal high-level exchanges, including the visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Slovakia in April last year and the visit of President Pellegrini to India for the AI Impact Summit in February this year.

George also pointed to the growing Indian presence in Slovakia, saying, 'The Indian diaspora in Slovakia has grown in the recent past to around 11,000. Today, I think the Indian diaspora is the second largest diaspora in Slovakia after the Ukrainians.'

The MEA Secretary highlighted close cooperation between the two countries at multilateral forums and recalled Slovakia's assistance during Operation Ganga in 2022, as well as its condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and expression of solidarity with India.

On economic ties, George said, 'Bilateral trade has experienced positive growth, particularly in the last few years. The India-EU FTA will give a new momentum in expanding our trade and investment ties.'

Describing the overall visit as strategically important, George said, 'This visit will be a full, highly productive, and strategically significant visit. It encompasses a bilateral summit with one of the most important strategic partners, a visit to a Central European country with which we wish to deepen ties, India's continued deepening engagement at the G7, and, of course, showcasing India's innovation story at Bharat Innovates and VivaTech. This visit will add significant momentum to India's partnership with France and Slovakia in particular, and with Europe in general, also keeping in view the new momentum with the conclusion of the India-EU FTA. It will also showcase India's standing as a responsible and constructive global power.'

He added, 'The visit to Slovakia is taking place at a very important time with our bilateral relationship on a positive trajectory.' (ANI)