PM Modi receives ceremonial welcome in Bratislava, meets with Slovakian PM Fico
He received a Guard of Honor upon his arrival in Bratislava as he began the second leg of his European visit.
Prime Minister Modi also met his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico at Bratislava Castle for bilateral talks.
The two leaders also visited an art exhibition before their meeting.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri were also present in the Indian delegation accompanying the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Modi was welcomed at the airport on Sunday evening by Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Juraj Blanar and offered bread and salt with a symbolic, traditional Slovak greeting. “The welcome in Bratislava included the traditional offering of bread and salt, a beautiful reflection of Slovakia’s rich cultural heritage and the values of goodwill and friendship they hold dear,” he said in a post on channel X.
At PM Modi’s reception, the Kopaniciarik child folk troupe from the Myjava region dressed in vibrant traditional Slovak costumes and performed a lively folk dance.
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He also expressed his gratitude to the Indian community for their warmth and love during his arrival as India’s first Prime Minister to visit the country, emphasizing that such gestures reflect the enduring ties that bind people together and strengthen the India-Slovakia friendship.
Prime Minister Modi is in Slovakia for a three-day visit at the invitation of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The visit follows President Droupadi Murmu’s State Visit to Slovakia in April 2025 and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini’s visit to India for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to meet Fico and meet President Pellegrini. The talks are expected to focus on increasing cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, automobile production, railway development and other strategic sectors.
In his farewell statement before his visit to France and Slovakia, the Prime Minister had said: “I look forward to holding talks with President Pellegrini and Prime Minister Fico in Bratislava. I will also have the opportunity to interact with Slovak business leaders. Building on the momentum of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, this visit will further energize our Strategic Partnership with the European Union, of which Slovakia is an important and valuable member.”
The Ministry of External Affairs underlined that the visit will reaffirm India’s commitment to strengthen bilateral relations with Slovakia and build on the recent high-level contacts between the two countries.
