By R Anil Kumar
Nice, France, 14 June, 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, June 14, departed for Bratislava from Nice, concluding the first leg of his visit.
The PM is scheduled to undertake a State Visit to Slovakia from June 14 to 16 at the invitation of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
“After a fruitful visit to Nice, France, which resulted in several bilateral outcomes with a strong focus on innovation and future technologies, PM Narendra Modi has departed for Bratislava,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on social media platform X.
“Nice to have met you (Emmanuel Macron) in Nice. A productive first leg indeed. The India-France partnership will keep scaling new heights. See you in Evian and Paris,” PM Modi wrote on X ahead of his departure from Nice.
This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence in 1993.
PM Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Robert Fico and explore new avenues of cooperation.
The Prime Minister will also meet President Pellegrini.
PM Modi arrives in Bratislava, eyes deeper India-Slovakia cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bratislava on Sunday (local time) for the second leg of his two-nation visit, during which he will hold talks with President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. He is also scheduled to interact with business leaders.
PM Modi is on a State Visit to Slovakia from June 14 to 16 at the invitation of the Slovak PM.
In a post on X after reaching the Slovak capital, Bratislava, the Prime Minister said, “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.”
The visit is significant as it marks the first-ever trip by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country gained independence in 1993.
Historic PM Modi visit to open new chapter in India-Slovakia relations, says envoy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Slovakia will provide fresh momentum to bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation in areas ranging from trade and technology to people-to-people exchanges, India’s Ambassador to Slovakia, Apoorva Srivastava, said on Saturday.
Describing the visit as historic, Ambassador Srivastava noted that it would be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since the country gained independence in 1993.
“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,” she told IANS.
The Ambassador highlighted the rapid growth in economic ties between the two countries in recent years. She said bilateral trade crossed the one-billion-euro mark for the first time in 2024 and expanded further to 1.6 billion euros in 2025.
“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.
According to the envoy, Slovakia is emerging as an important gateway for Indian businesses seeking access to European markets. She also underlined the relevance of Slovak expertise in technology and innovation for India’s development goals.
Referring to ongoing discussions on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, she said the scope for cooperation across multiple sectors remains vast.
The Ambassador also revealed that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet chief executives of several leading Slovak companies during the visit. She noted that Slovak businesses have shown growing interest in India, with several firms investing in the country and multiple business delegations travelling to India in recent years.
Highlighting Slovakia’s strategic outlook, Srivastava pointed out that the country unveiled its Indo-Pacific Strategy in December 2025, placing greater emphasis on engagement with the region in areas such as trade, technology and political cooperation.
“Slovakia has just launched its Indo-Pacific strategy in December 2025. They have given a lot of importance to the Indo-Pacific region, not only trade and technology, but also to increasing the political relationship,” she said.
Ahead of the visit, Peter Pellegrini welcomed Prime Minister Modi and expressed optimism about the future of bilateral ties.
In a message posted on X, President Pellegrini said, “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.”
