Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit France and Slovakia on a 5-day Europe tour from Saturday (13 to 18 June). The least talked about but very important stop of this tour is Slovakia. This will be the first bilateral visit of an Indian Prime Minister here. In such a situation, it is natural to raise the question that why is India’s interest in this small country of Central Europe increasing?
Slovakia’s population is about 5.5 million, but its role in Europe’s economy is considered much bigger than its size. The country has been among the world’s major automobile manufacturing centers and has long been ranked among the leading countries in terms of per capita car production. Big plants of many global automobile manufacturing companies are present here.
Why is Slovakia important for India?
India is looking towards Slovakia at a time when it is trying to increase its manufacturing capacity, play a bigger role in the global supply chain and give new impetus to economic relations with Europe. Possibilities of cooperation in areas like automobile, engineering and advanced manufacturing are bringing the two countries closer.
This journey is not limited to business only. In the last few years, India has expanded the scope of its relations with Europe beyond its traditional partner countries. Apart from France, Germany and Italy, emphasis is now being laid on new partnerships with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Slovakia is considered to be part of the same strategy.
Trying to make an impact in Central Europe
Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO. In such a situation, strong relations with it can help India increase its presence in Central Europe and get better access to European markets. Experts believe that in the changing global economic and geopolitical environment, India wants to strengthen relations with those countries which can provide new opportunities for investment, technology and industrial cooperation.
This visit of Prime Minister Modi is taking place at a time when cooperation between India and European countries in the fields of trade, technology, defense and innovation is increasing rapidly. Therefore, this visit to Slovakia is not just being considered a formal diplomatic program but a part of India’s broader Europe strategy.
The name of Slovakia may not be as familiar to Indians as compared to France, but the Prime Minister’s visit indicates that New Delhi is now more active than ever in looking for new opportunities and new partners in Europe. This is the reason why India has its eyes fixed on this small country.
Leave a Reply