Japan-Slovakia Relations
Courtesy Call on H.E. Mr. Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic by Foreign Minister MOTEGI
On August 31, commencing at 3:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. on August 31, JST) for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who was visiting the Slovak Republic to attend the “V4 plus Japan” Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, paid a courtesy call to H.E. Mr. Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic.
- At the outset, Prime Minister Fico welcomed Minister MOTEGI’s visit to Slovakia and expressed his desire to further develop the longstanding friendship between Japan and Slovakia. In response, Minister MOTEGI expressed his gratitude for the hosting of “V4 plus Japan” Foreign Minister’s Meeting and expressed his respect for the leadership of Prime Minister Fico, who is leading the V4’s revitalization.
- Minister MOTEGI noted that more than 60 Japanese companies operating in Slovakia have created approximately 20,000 jobs through their investments, and expressed his expectation that Japanese companies’ advanced technologies and expertise would contribute to enhancing the competitiveness and supporting decarbonization efforts of Slovak companies. In response, Prime Minister Fico expressed his gratitude for Japan’s contribution, including that of Nippon Steel which employs approximately 8,000 people in the eastern Slovak city of Košice, and stated that Slovakia would continue to support the activities of Japanese firms.
- Minister MOTEGI explained Japan’s positions on regional issues, including the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine and the Middle East. Prime Minister Fico and Minister MOTEGI concurred on continuing to cooperate closely in addressing various regional challenges.
(Reference) V4 (Visegrad 4)
A framework for regional cooperation comprising of the Slovak Republic (current Presidency holder), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. It was founded in 1991 in Visegrád, Hungary. In addition to dialogues among leaders, foreign ministers and senior officials, cooperation under the “V4 Plus Japan” framework has been promoted in a wide range of fields, including science and technology, third country assistance, disaster prevention, and environmental issues.