On the afternoon of April 13, at the Presidential Palace, To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President, received Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, who is on an official visit to Vietnam.

General Secretary and State President To Lam warmly welcomed and highly appreciated the visit by Prime Minister Robert Fico, noting that this was the first visit by a foreign leader to Vietnam following the National Assembly’s election of the country’s senior leadership positions in the State, Government, and legislature.

The visit stands as a testament to the sincere affection and importance that the Government and people of Slovakia attach to the traditional friendship between the two countries. It also marks a significant milestone, ushering Vietnam - Slovakia relations into a new phase of more stable and substantive development.

The Vietnamese leader affirmed that Vietnam always values, remembers, and sincerely appreciates the valuable and effective support both material and spiritual, extended by the Slovak people during Vietnam’s nation-building process. He also commended Slovakia’s achievements in recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Fico in both domestic and foreign affairs, as well as its European integration process.

Vietnam consistently attaches importance to and seeks to further deepen its relations with Slovakia, a leading traditional friend and partner in the Central and Eastern European region. The Communist Party of Vietnam stands ready to strengthen ties with Slovak political parties, particularly the Direction - Social Democracy Party (Smer-SD) and other parties within the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Welcoming the outcomes of the talks between Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Prime Minister Robert Fico, General Secretary and State President To Lam expressed satisfaction that the two countries had officially elevated their relationship to a “Strategic Partnership,” reflecting a high level of political trust.

Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his pleasure and emotion at returning to Vietnam, thanking the Vietnamese leadership and people for their warm reception and hospitality.

He shared that he holds special affection for the country and people of Vietnam, and has deep respect for the Vietnamese nation’s heroic struggle for independence, as well as for a dynamic Vietnam in socio-economic development and international integration, particularly its sound foreign policy amid today’s complex global landscape.

Prime Minister Fico noted that Vietnam has long been a source of inspiration for Slovakia in terms of development and international and regional integration. He also extended his congratulations to General Secretary To Lam on his election as State President, reflecting the confidence placed in him by the Party, State, and people of Vietnam.

The Slovak Prime Minister briefed his host on recent developments in Slovakia, as well as the positive outcomes of his meetings with Vietnamese leaders and the Vietnam - Slovakia Business Forum.

He emphasized that Slovakia considers Vietnam its most important partner in Southeast Asia and one of its top three partners in Asia. The Slovak side expressed great satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit, particularly the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership and the signing of numerous cooperation agreements between ministries, sectors, and businesses of the two countries, which are expected to create new momentum for cooperation.

Agreeing with General Secretary and State President To Lam, Prime Minister Fico affirmed that Slovakia would closely coordinate with Vietnam to promptly implement the agreements reached, especially in breakthrough areas such as economic and trade cooperation, science and technology, defense and security, industry, renewable energy, tourism, high-tech agriculture, and artificial intelligence.

General Secretary and State President To Lam outlined several key directions to ensure that cooperation is implemented in a substantive and effective manner, commensurate with the newly upgraded Strategic Partnership. These include intensifying exchanges of delegations at all levels across Party, State, Government, and people-to-people channels to further strengthen political trust; making economic, trade, and investment cooperation a central pillar; and prioritizing the development of “lighthouse projects” in sectors such as the automotive industry, renewable energy, high technology, digital transformation, and information technology.

He also stressed the importance of human resource training, labor cooperation, and expanding subnational cooperation, while maximizing both countries’ gateway positions to access the markets of ASEAN and the European Union.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, underscoring the importance of adhering to international law, respecting the United Nations Charter, and upholding the fundamental principles of international relations. They emphasized the need to resolve disputes through peaceful means based on dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect, thereby contributing to the maintenance of peace and stability and creating favorable conditions for sustainable development and prosperity.

Both sides highlighted the importance of people-to-people exchanges as a solid foundation and a key driver for enhancing mutual understanding, strengthening traditional friendship, and consolidating comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

General Secretary and State President To Lam expressed confidence that, with the stature of a Strategic Partnership, Vietnam - Slovakia relations will continue to grow robustly, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both nations and contributing to peace and development in each region.

On this occasion, Prime Minister Robert Fico conveyed an invitation from Peter Pellegrini, President of Slovakia, inviting General Secretary and State President To Lam to visit Slovakia. The Vietnamese leader thanked him and gladly accepted the invitation, noting that the visit would take place at an appropriate time.