This article covers how relations between India and Slovakia began, the visits exchanged by presidents, prime ministers and ministers, meetings on the sidelines of international events, and the Foreign Office Consultations. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief on India and Slovakia. The brief carries no date of its own; its most recent entries are from March 2026.

Background

According to the MEA brief, which is current to March 2026, India and Slovakia have had traditionally warm relations that date back to 1921, with the establishment of a Czechoslovak Consulate in Bombay. The brief states that the ties are based on shared values of democracy, rule of law, freedom and equality.

After the independence of the Slovak Republic on 1 January 1993, India was one of the first countries to recognise it. The opening of resident missions in each capital is covered in this guide's practical article.

Visits by presidents and prime ministers

The brief lists the following visits from India to Slovakia at the highest level:

  • Former President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma visited the Slovak Republic on 9-10 October 1996, as part of a larger European tour to boost economic ties, and met Slovak President Michal Kováč.
  • Former Vice President Shri Krishan Kant visited Slovakia in June 2000, as part of a State Visit to Bulgaria, Slovakia and Egypt from June 8th to 21st, 2000.
  • The President of India visited Slovakia from 9-10 April 2025, accompanied by a business delegation. The brief describes this as the second Presidential visit, after a gap of 29 years.
  • After the brief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a State Visit to Slovakia on 15 June 2026, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since Slovakia's independence in 1993. The two Prime Ministers agreed to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership.

Two MoUs were signed during the April 2025 visit: one on cooperation between the Foreign Service Institutes of both countries, and one between National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC), India and Slovak Business Agency (SBA), Slovak Republic on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Visits from Slovakia to India at the same level include:

  • Prime Minister Josef Moravcik, who paid an official visit on 7-8 July 1994 with a delegation that included the Ministers of Defence and Economy, the Governor of the Slovak National Bank and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • President H.E. Dr. Ivan Gasparovic, who paid a State Visit from December 11-15, 2004, accompanied by First Lady Ms Silvia Gasparovicova, the State Secretaries of Culture, Defence and Foreign Affairs, and a large business delegation;
  • President Peter Pellegrini, who took part in the AI Impact Summit on 19 and 20 February 2026.

President Pellegrini arrived in New Delhi on 18 February 2026 and was received by Minister of State Shri Jitendra Singh. During the visit, he held meetings with the President of India on 19 February and the Prime Minister on 20 February, and attended the leaders' session and other events of the Summit.

Foreign ministers

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar paid an official visit to Slovakia on 02-03 June, the first ever visit at the level of EAM since 1993. On 03 June, he took part in GLOBSEC 2022. During the visit, he called on Mr. Eduard Heger, former Prime Minister of Slovakia, and held delegation-level talks with the then Foreign Minister Korčok.

From Slovakia, Mr. Miroslav Lajcak, Foreign and European Affairs Minister, visited India as President-elect of the 72nd Session of the UNGA in August 2017. Foreign Minister Rastislav Kacer visited India for the Raisina Dialogue from 2-4 March 2023; the cultural agreement signed during that visit is covered in this guide's culture article.

Foreign Minister Mr. Juraj Blanar visited India for the Raisina Dialogue 2024, from 20 to 23 February 2024. He was accompanied by a 22-member delegation of business and defence companies and took part in the 2nd CII India Europe Business and sustainability conclave. He met EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi. With State Secretary Mr. Rastislav Chovanec and the defence delegation, he also met the Secretary for Defence production in the Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Blanar visited India again for the Raisina Dialogue 2025, from 17 to 19 March 2025, leading a large business delegation. The delegation included Finance Minister Mr. Ladislav Kamenický, several senior functionaries of the government and journalists, and Mr. Blanar met the EAM during the visit. He had confirmed participation in the Raisina Dialogue 2026, but the brief states that the visit was cancelled due to the situation in West Asia.

Other ministerial and parliamentary visits

Visits from India to Slovakia recorded in the brief include:

  • Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Shri R.L. Bhatia, in January 1993;
  • MoS for External Affairs Retd. Gen (Dr.) V.K. Singh, for the GLOBSEC Security Forum from 15-17 April 2016;
  • MoS for External Affairs Shri M.J. Akbar, for the GLOBSEC Forum 2018 from 15-18 May 2018.

From Slovakia, a parliamentary delegation led by Chairman Mr. Ivan Gasparovic visited India in 1993. Another parliamentary delegation, led by Mr Pavol Paska, the speaker of the National Council, visited in March 2008; the brief notes that Mr Peter Pellegrini was part of it. Mr. Lukas Parízek, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, visited India in September 2017. He returned in November 2019 for a business forum, described in this guide's trade article, and met Mr. V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs.

Meetings on the sidelines

The brief lists the following meetings between foreign ministers in the last five years:

  • In November 2021, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar had a brief meeting with the then FM Korčok on the margins of the Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE.
  • On 2 January 2023, the EAM met the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, Mr. Ratislav Káčer, at the Slavkov Format in Vienna, Austria.
  • On 26 November 2024, the EAM held talks with Mr Juraj Blanar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the margins of the UNGA.
  • On 16 March 2026, the EAM held talks with Mr Blanar on the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

Foreign Office Consultations

The Indo-Slovak Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was signed in July 1994. As of the brief, six rounds have taken place:

  • the first in December 1995;
  • the second in March 1996;
  • the third in December 1999;
  • the fourth in February 2015;
  • the fifth in April 2018;
  • the sixth on February 10, 2023, in New Delhi, co-chaired by Secretary (West) and the Director General for Political Affairs from the Slovak side.

The Joint Economic Committee, the main economic mechanism, is described in this guide's article on trade and investment.