The visit aims to continue implementing the foreign guidelines of the 14th National Party Congress: independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development; multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations; and proactive, active, effective, and deep international integration.
The traditional friendship and good cooperation between Viet Nam and Slovakia have been inherited and developed from the former relationship between Viet Nam and Czechoslovakia. In 1993, when Slovakia separated from the Czechoslovak Federation, Viet Nam and Slovakia agreed to take February 2, 1950, as the date of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Since then, the traditional relationship between Viet Nam and Slovakia has developed positively. Both sides attach importance to the friendship that has been built and continue to nurture it to a new height. The two sides regularly maintain exchanges of delegations at all levels and high-level contacts, while supporting each other at multilateral forums. The ruling Direction–Social Democracy Party (Smer-SD) and other parties in the governing coalition of Prime Minister Robert Fico pay attention to strengthening political cooperation with the Communist Party of Viet Nam. Parliamentary cooperation has also been maintained regularly through delegation exchanges between specialised committees.
Slovakia prioritises strengthening cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region and potential ASEAN partners, including Viet Nam, which it considers a leading important partner in Southeast Asia. Economic, trade, and investment cooperation is a key pillar in bilateral relations, with two-way trade reaching 1.78 billion USD in 2025. Slovakia is one of the first EU countries to ratify the EU–Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
Viet Nam always attaches importance to developing traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Slovakia. The Vietnamese people always remember and deeply appreciate the valuable support and assistance that the Slovak people have provided to Viet Nam during its struggle for independence and national reunification in the past, as well as in its current socio-economic development and international integration process.
Slovakia is a reliable partner of Viet Nam in Central and Eastern Europe. Cooperation in education and training, labour, and tourism between the two countries continues to be promoted. Education and training remain a traditional area of cooperation. Labour cooperation has been implemented on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on labour cooperation signed in 2008, bringing highly skilled Vietnamese workers to Slovakia.
Slovakia has been a traditional partner of Viet Nam in science and technology cooperation during the 1950–1990 period. Today, cooperation in science, technology, and innovation between Viet Nam and Slovakia continues to develop through expert exchanges and the organisation of scientific workshops between universities and research institutes of the two countries.
Both sides also have strong potential for cooperation in areas of smart agriculture, land and water resource management, and food processing industries. Defence and security cooperation between Viet Nam and Slovakia has been continuously strengthened, achieving positive results in combating crime.
With around 10,000 Vietnamese people residing in Slovakia, the Vietnamese community has deeply integrated into the host society, making practical contributions to Slovakia’s socio-economic development, and has been officially recognised by the Slovak Government as the country’s 14th ethnic minority. With a spirit of solidarity and a strong attachment to their homeland, the Vietnamese community is a solid bridge connecting the traditional friendship between the two peoples, contributing to promoting the development of Viet Nam–Slovakia cooperation.
The official visit of Prime Minister Robert Fico reaffirms Viet Nam’s consistent guidelines of valuing and wishing to strengthen relations with traditional friends, including Slovakia; demonstrates the determination to work with Slovakia to deepen and enhance bilateral relations; and promotes cooperation in the fields of politics–diplomacy, economy–trade-investment, and defence–security, while expanding cooperation in potential areas such as science and technology, environmental agriculture, culture, education, labour, tourism, and local-level cooperation, for the benefit of the two peoples and for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
