Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Slovakia for the second leg of his three-nation European tour, marking the first time an Indian prime minister has visited the country since it gained independence in 1993. During his two-day stay in Bratislava, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the Slovak President, Peter Pellegrini, and the Prime Minister, Robert Fico. He will also engage with leading Slovak business executives to explore opportunities for expanding economic cooperation between the two nations.
Soon after his arrival, Modi noted that the visit would help deepen India-Slovakia ties and open new avenues of cooperation. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he posted that the visit provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen relations and that he looks forward to productive meetings with both President Pellegrini and Prime Minister Fico.
The prime minister travelled to Slovakia after concluding his engagements in France, where he held bilateral discussions with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and attended the inauguration of the Bharat Innovates event in Nice. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi was welcomed upon arrival by the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Juraj Blanár, and received a traditional bread-and-salt welcome, which serves as a symbol of hospitality, respect, and goodwill in Slovakia.
Ahead of the trip, Modi described the visit as historic, noting that it builds on the growing momentum in bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that his discussions with Slovak leaders and business representatives would further strengthen cooperation in key sectors. The ministry highlighted that this trip 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 time in Slovakia, Modi will travel to France to participate in the G7 Summit in Evian, running from June 16 to 17. He is expected to hold discussions with G7 leaders and partner countries on pressing global issues such as international cooperation, economic growth, and artificial intelligence, alongside 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 President Macron.
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