‘Political miracle’: Slovak PM Robert Fico greets PM Modi; India, Slovakia upgrade ties to comprehensive partnership | Today’s news
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected prime minister, calling the political milestone a “political miracle”.
“Mr. Prime Minister, I congratulate you on being the longest serving Prime Minister of India. It is like a political miracle,” Fico said during the exchange of memoranda of understanding (MoU) and joint press statements in Bratislava.
The remarks came after Prime Minister Modi held delegation-level talks with his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico in Bratislava on Monday during a visit to Slovakia, the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to a European nation.
Fico praised Prime Minister Modi’s continued popularity and leadership and emphasized the importance of his continued tenure in office.
In response, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Robert Fico, calling him an “experienced leader and a true friend of India”. He also confirmed that Indo-Slovak relations have been elevated to the status of a “comprehensive partnership”.
Prime Minister Modi said: “His friendship and unwavering commitment played a special role in taking India-Slovakia relations to new heights.”
“I am delighted that I had the opportunity to meet him today and witness a historic moment in our relations. This visit is the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia. I am delighted that on this historic occasion we have decided to elevate our ties to the Comprehensive Partnership. This reflects our shared trust, shared priorities and shared vision for the future,” said Prime Minister Modi.
“The deep cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries provide a solid foundation for our relations. The translation of the ancient Indian Upanishads into the ‘Slovak’ language is an excellent example of our cultural closeness. People of Indian origin living in Slovakia make a significant contribution to the country’s economy and society,” Prime Minister Modi said.
The prime minister emphasized that technology is a key pillar of the future partnership.
“The memorandum of understanding on digital technology signed today will open up new opportunities for cooperation in digital public infrastructure. I am pleased that an Indian department for artificial intelligence is being established at a Slovak university…,” he said.
He highlighted the “enormous potential” for expanding cooperation between India and Slovakia in the field of space. “Today, the space sector in India is reaching new heights at an unprecedented pace. I invite Slovak companies to join this development journey,” said PM Modi.
“Civil nuclear energy is also a key priority area for both countries… Defense cooperation is proof of our deep mutual trust and strategic rapprochement. I am glad that today we signed a Letter of Intent in this important area. This will give new impetus to joint development, joint production and cooperation between the defense industry,” he added.
Robert Fico he also said: “Today we agreed with the Prime Minister that we will upgrade the cooperation between India and Slovakia to a comprehensive and strategic cooperation.”
Fico praises India’s growth, digital transformation
Meanwhile, Fico also praised India’s rapid economic growth, digital transformation and advances in artificial intelligence, saying the country has overtaken many developed countries in key sectors.
Fico said that Slovakia and India share several common interests and expressed admiration for India’s achievements in many areas.
“The Slovak Republic and India are countries united by a number of common themes. I would like to congratulate India on the fantastic results you are achieving,” said Fico.
Highlighting India’s growing global standing, Fico said, “It is a great honor to welcome the Prime Minister of a country with the largest population in the world, but also a country that is the fifth largest economy in the world and has ambitions to be the third largest economy in the world.”
“I congratulate you on the results you have achieved in various fields. You are dominating the field of digitization and use of AI. You have come so far that you are faster than many developed countries in different parts of the world,” he said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Modi held a delegation-level meeting with his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, in Bratislava.
The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (West) Sibi George and Additional Secretary in MEA Puja Kapur.
PM Modi was given a ceremonial welcome in Bratislava and given a guard of honor on arrival as he began the second leg of his European tour.
He also met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at the historic Bratislava Castle for bilateral negotiations. Before the formal talks, the two leaders visited an art exhibition.
