Blanar: Thailand Could Be Slovakia's Gateway to Southeast Asia
Slovakia offers Thailand a gateway to the European Union, while it views Thailand as its own entry point into the whole of the Southeast Asian region, said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar following his talks with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow on Monday.
Bangkok, 12 October (TASR-correspondent) - Slovakia offers Thailand a gateway to the European Union, while it views Thailand as its own entry point into the whole of the Southeast Asian region, said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) following his talks with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow on Monday.
Economic relations were the main topic of the first visit by a Slovak foreign minister to Thailand in 21 years.
Blanar also said that he was due to meet Thai Premier Anutin Charnvirakul later on Monday and would hand him an invitation from Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to visit Slovakia. "As the country holding the Visegrad Four [V4 - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland] presidency, we're also offering the opportunity for a meeting of premiers in an expanded V4+ format," he added.
According to Blanar, his talks with Phuangketkeow included the defence industry, which has a strong tradition in Slovakia dating back to the era of the former Czechoslovakia. "We know that Thailand is building a strong defence policy, and we want to be part of it," he said.
Blanar also highlighted Slovakia's expertise in the fields of IT, digitalisation, cyber-security, flood early-warning systems, water management and energy. He sees further opportunities for cooperation in nuclear energy; for example, in the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs).
Phuangketkeow stated that he sees great potential in economic relations between the two countries. In addition to seeking support for negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and the EU, the Thai minister asked Slovakia to help secure an exemption that would enable visa-free travel for Thai businesspeople going to the Schengen Area for business purposes.
Following his talks with the Thai premier, Blanar will travel to Australia overnight, where his agenda includes further political talks, the official reopening of a Slovak Embassy in Canberra, meetings with Slovak expatriates and participation in MOVE Australia 2026, a nationwide professional conference and exhibition in Sydney dedicated to the future of transport and mobility.
The chief of Slovak diplomacy is paying a working visit to Thailand and Australia between 11-17 October in order to strengthen political ties, support Slovak exports and open up new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and technology. He is due to return to Slovakia on Sunday (18 October).
