ASTANA – Slovakia is an important and reliable partner for Kazakhstan in Europe, said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as he welcomed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during his official visit to Kazakhstan on June 11, reported Akorda.
Robert Fico and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev .Photo credit: Akorda
During one-on-one talks, President Tokayev said that the Slovak Prime Minister’s visit would strengthen the Kazakh-Slovak partnership and open up new prospects for bilateral relations.
“Kazakhstan and Slovakia are linked by close relations. We are implementing large-scale projects. I believe that there are opportunities that have yet to be properly explored and developed in the future. Therefore, we attach great importance to your visit and believe that it will contribute to the development of cooperation between the two countries,” said Tokayev.
“We highly value our relations with your country and consider Slovakia to be one of Kazakhstan’s key partners in the European Union. Therefore, as President, I will do everything possible to expand and deepen our ties in a wide range of areas,” he added.
In turn, the Prime Minister of Slovakia expressed his commitment to give new impetus to bilateral relations and to strengthen trade and economic ties with Kazakhstan.
“I would like to confirm that there are no political differences between our countries, so we can fully focus on mutually beneficial economic relations and friendship. Today, we will discuss several projects that are very important and interesting for both sides. I am confident that the visit will be very successful,” said Fico.
President Tokayev emphasized that economic partnership should remain a top priority in Kazakh-Slovak cooperation. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $140 million, with over 30 Slovak companies and 22 joint ventures operating in Kazakhstan.
He also highlighted the need to diversify cooperation, pointing to emerging opportunities in energy, industrial production, agriculture, logistics, digitalization, critical raw materials, education, and tourism sectors. Tokayev also expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in Slovakia’s water resource management practices.
The talks also addressed issues on the international and regional agenda.
“We expressed our shared concern about geopolitical instability, global conflicts, and trade wars. Both sides believe that all disputes should be resolved exclusively through peaceful means. The ties between our countries are being strengthened within the framework of international organizations. In particular, we coordinate our efforts within such structures as the UN and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Our positions on many global trends and challenges are similar. We attach great importance to multilateral diplomacy,” said President Tokayev.
Prime Minister Fico expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, highlighting the historic contribution of the Kazakh people to Slovakia’s liberation during World War II.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Kazakhstan for its invaluable contribution to the liberation of Slovakia in 1944–1945. Around one million soldiers from your country fought in the ranks of the Soviet army. Around 60,000 Soviet soldiers gave their lives for the liberation of Slovakia. We are deeply grateful for what was done for Slovakia during those difficult times,” said Fico.
“I constantly urge my colleagues in the European Union not to focus solely on matters within the EU, but to look more broadly at the world, to study the experience of other countries and their achievements. We should strengthen cooperation and interact more actively with partners around the world,” he added.
