Prime Minister Modi discussed bilateral cooperation with Robert Fico in Slovakia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will attend a press conference at the Bratislava Castle in Bratislava on June 15, 2026. Photo credit: Reuters

India and Slovakia on Monday expanded their bilateral ties through memorandums of understanding (MoU) across defence, labor mobility, education, digital technology and other sectors, officially labeling their relationship as a “comprehensive partnership”.

“It was a great meeting with Prime Minister (Robert) Fico. It is indeed a very special moment for India-Slovakia friendship,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after bilateral talks in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava. The prime minister has been here for a little over 24 hours – the first visit by an Indian prime minister since the founding of Slovakia in 1993.

“Our talks covered cooperation in sectors such as automobiles, railways, advanced manufacturing and green technology. The India-EU FTA will also add impetus to our partnership,” the Prime Minister said. The countries have pledged to significantly boost two-way trade and investment in areas such as automotive, electronics and advanced manufacturing.

The signed memorandum on labor migration seeks to facilitate mobility and exchange of information between authorities in both countries, according to a joint statement. Both parties also agreed to conclude a social security agreement in this regard. A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the ministries of higher education of the two countries to facilitate academic and institutional linkages. Mr. Modi and Mr. Fico agreed to promote the mobility of students and researchers – especially in the fields of STEM and humanities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico inspect the guard of honor during the official welcoming ceremony at the Bratislava Castle in Bratislava on June 15, 2026. | Photo credit: Reuters

According to the joint statement, defense and security cooperation would be “one of the key pillars” of the Indo-Slovak relationship. The two sides signed a Letter of Intent to promote defense cooperation – a move welcomed by Mr Modi and Mr Fico in their press statements. Through this framework, governments would seek to work more closely together in defense technology, defense industrial cooperation, capacity building and research and development (R&D).

At a joint press conference with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.@RobertFicoSVKhttps://t.co/qP50HdYhUO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 15, 2026

The two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on digital technologies to provide a framework for their digital cooperation, as they pledged to deepen cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, start-ups and so on. They also agreed to explore cooperation in emerging areas, including the Internet of Things and 6G standardization.

Mr Modi and Mr Fico agreed to set up a joint working group on terrorism, with both leaders condemning the Pahalgam terror attacks in April 2025 “in the strongest terms”. They agreed to work towards the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) within the framework of the United Nations (UN). Both leaders called for action against terrorists, including those on the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) 1267 Sanctions Committee list, and sponsors of terrorism.

Both parties reaffirmed their support for multilateralism and called for reform of the UN, including the UN Security Council, with the expansion of permanent and non-permanent seats on the Council. Slovakia continues to support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and “reaffirmed its constructive approach” to India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, according to a joint statement.

Mr Modi met CEOs in Bratislava on Monday afternoon and was due to attend a dinner hosted by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.

Published – 15 Jun 2026 15:13 IST