India & Slovakia Sign Key Mous To Boost MSME & Diplomatic Cooperation

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, April 11 (KNN) President Droupadi Murmu has arrived in Bratislava for the final portion of her State Visit to Portugal and the Slovak Republic, marking the first visit by an Indian President to Slovakia in 29 years.

The President's delegation includes Minister of State Nimuben Bambhaniya and Members of Parliament Dhaval Patel and Sandhya Ray.

President Murmu's official engagements began at the Presidential Palace, where Slovak President Peter Pellegrini welcomed her with a traditional Slovak ceremony featuring bread and salt presented by individuals in folk attire, followed by a formal Guard of Honour.

During subsequent bilateral discussions, President Murmu held both one-on-one meetings and delegation-level talks with President Pellegrini, covering various aspects of bilateral relations and shared global and regional interests.

She acknowledged President Pellegrini's personal commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and noted the growing popularity of Indian culture in Slovakia.

The Indian President highlighted significant opportunities for collaboration in India's expanding media, entertainment, and creative economy sectors.

She specifically suggested promoting Slovakia as a filming destination and potential partner for joint film productions.

President Murmu extended an invitation for Slovakia to participate in the upcoming WAVE Summit scheduled in Mumbai from May 1-4, 2025.

The bilateral discussions culminated in the exchange of two Memoranda of Understanding: one establishing cooperation between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and the Slovak Business Agency in the field of MSMEs, and another formalising diplomatic training cooperation between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) and Slovakia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

In a subsequent engagement, President Murmu met with National Council Speaker Richard Raši. She congratulated him on his recent election and reaffirmed India's commitment to the historic friendship between the two nations.

The President emphasised the important role parliamentarians play in enhancing goodwill and mutual understanding, noting the tradition of maintaining a Slovak-India Friendship Group in Slovakia's National Council to facilitate exchanges of knowledge and experience.

President Murmu also held extensive discussions with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

During their meeting, she expressed India's appreciation for the traditionally close and friendly ties between the nations, which are founded on shared values of democracy, rule of law, and convergent perspectives on global issues.

Both leaders acknowledged the recent increase in cross-sector engagements and expressed commitment to further diversifying and strengthening bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest.

(KNN Bureau)

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