Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Bratislava for an important visit to Slovakia, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the country since its independence in 1993. The trip is part of his wider European tour and is expected to give fresh momentum to India’s relationship with Central Europe.
During his stay in Bratislava, Modi is scheduled to meet Slovak President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. The talks are likely to focus on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, technology, automobile manufacturing, railway production and other business-linked sectors. Modi is also expected to interact with Slovak business leaders to explore new opportunities for economic partnership.
The visit comes at a time when India is looking to deepen its engagement with European countries beyond traditional partners. Slovakia, as a member of the European Union, holds strategic importance for India’s wider outreach to Europe. Stronger India-Slovakia ties could help both countries expand business links, improve industrial cooperation and support future technology partnerships.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi was received by Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanr after arriving in Bratislava. He was also welcomed with a traditional bread-and-salt ceremony, a gesture that reflects hospitality and goodwill in Slovakia.
The visit follows recent high-level exchanges between the two countries. President Droupadi Murmu visited Slovakia in April 2025, while Slovak President Peter Pellegrini visited India for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026. These diplomatic engagements have helped build momentum in bilateral relations and opened the door for broader cooperation.
India and Slovakia are expected to look at practical ways to boost trade and investment. Areas such as automobile manufacturing, engineering, railway production, digital technology and emerging innovation sectors are expected to receive attention during the talks. For Slovakia, India offers a large and fast-growing market. For India, Slovakia can become a useful partner in industrial growth and European market access.
Before arriving in Slovakia, Modi completed engagements in France, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron and attended the Bharat Innovates event in Nice. After the Slovakia leg, he is expected to attend the G7 Summit in Evian on June 16 and 17, where global cooperation, artificial intelligence, economic growth and international challenges are likely to be discussed.
Modi will later travel to Paris on June 18 to attend VivaTech 2026 with President Macron. His Slovakia visit stands out as a key diplomatic stop in the tour, underlining India’s effort to build stronger economic and technology partnerships across Europe.
