Slovak Foreign Minister Blanár: EU Isn’t Asking Too Much Of India, It’s About Partnership | Exclusive

Published 19 June 2026 · local

Slovak Foreign Minister Blanár: EU Isn’t Asking Too Much Of India, It’s About Partnership | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 16:30 IST

Slovak Foreign Minister Blanár: EU Isn’t Asking Too Much Of India, It’s About Partnership | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 16:30 IST As tariff tensions reshape global commerce, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said Slovakia is looking to India as a stable, long-term economic partner across key sectors Rapid Read Slovakia's FM Juraj Blanár with EAM S Jaishankar. It’s not every day that an Indian Prime Minister lands in Bratislava. In fact, Narendra Modi’s visit to Slovakia was the first of its kind, and it came with all the expected optics: high-level meetings with Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini, an upgrade of ties to a Comprehensive Partnership, new defence cooperation signals, business outreach, and even Slovakia’s top civilian honour, the Order of the White Double Cross (First Class). But beyond the optics and ceremony, what does this reset in ties actually mean? In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said the visit had laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation in defence, technology, advanced manufacturing and energy. He dismissed suggestions that NATO membership would constrain defence ties with India, backed stronger India-EU economic engagement, and argued that both Bratislava and New Delhi can play a constructive role in supporting diplomacy on Ukraine. On the Middle East, Blanár welcomed the US-Iran memorandum, while stressing the importance of safeguarding global energy supplies and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Edited excerpts from the interview Why has it taken more than three decades for an Indian Prime Minister to visit Slovakia? Our ties formally began in 1993, but our engagement goes back much further through trade and earlier contacts. Over the years, we’ve built a steady, mutually beneficial partnership, anchored in political dialogue, economic cooperation, and growing people-to-people links. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is really the culmination of that sustained engagement. It follows a series of high-level exchanges, including President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Slovakia in April 2025 and President Peter Pellegrini’s visit to India earlier this year. We see this as an important milestone, and a springboard to deepen cooperation across sectors. Which sector do you expect to see the biggest growth in as a result of this visit: technology, energy, or manufacturing? It’s difficult to single out just one, because these sectors are increasingly interconnected. That said, we see particularly strong potential at the intersection of technology and advanced manufacturing. As Slovakia continues to strengthen its position as an automotive and industrial hub in Europe, integrating India’s world-class digital innovation and software capabilities into our manufacturing lines presents a natural partnership.