Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on the sidelines of 80th anniversary celebration of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2025. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s official visit to Việt Nam, scheduled for April 12-14, is expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to further consolidate political trust, advance practical cooperation and open new directions for bilateral relations.

The visit, made at the invitation of Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, comes as Việt Nam and Slovakia continue to strengthen their traditional friendship and expand multifaceted cooperation.

Strong and long-lasting traditional friendship

Việt Nam and Slovakia share a longstanding relationship, inheriting the diplomatic ties established between Việt Nam and former Czechoslovakia on February 2, 1950. Over the past 76 years, both sides have consistently valued and nurtured this traditional friendship, maintaining regular high-level exchanges and cooperation mechanisms.

The two countries currently maintain a political consultation mechanism at the deputy foreign minister and director-general levels. The most recent consultations were held at the deputy minister level in July last year and at the director-general level in 2022, both in Hà Nội.

Stable growth in economic and trade Cooperation

Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has maintained a stable growth momentum. Bilateral trade reached US$1.73 billion in 2024 and $1.78 billion in 2025.

Slovakia ratified the EU – Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in February 2023. As of December 2025, Slovakia had 16 valid investment projects in Việt Nam with a total registered capital of $140.87 million, ranking 47th among 153 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam currently has one investment project in Slovakia with a total capital of $447,000, ranking 74th among 85 countries and territories receiving Vietnamese investment.

Cooperation in areas such as defence and security, science and technology, culture, tourism, and labour has been maintained and gradually expanded. Notably, science and technology is emerging as a highly promising field, with ongoing collaboration through expert exchanges and joint academic workshops between universities and research institutes of both countries.

A notable highlight is Việt Nam’s favourable visa policy for Slovak citizens. Under this policy, Slovak nationals are granted visa exemption for entry into Việt Nam from August 15, 2025, to August 14, 2028, contributing to enhanced people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and economic cooperation.

The Vietnamese community in Slovakia continues to grow steadily and serves as an important bridge in bilateral relations. Currently, approximately 10,000 Vietnamese people are living in Slovakia, of which about 70 per cent have local citizenship or long-term residence permits, and 85 per cent are engaged in small businesses.

The Vietnamese community has integrated well into Slovak society and made meaningful contributions to the country’s socio-economic development. In recognition of these contributions, the Slovak government officially recognised the Vietnamese community as the country’s 14th ethnic minority in June 2023, granting them rights as stipulated in the Slovak Constitution.

Prime Minister Fico, who has consistently supported the strengthening of bilateral ties, has made significant contributions to promoting cooperation between the two countries. His official visit is expected to create new momentum and chart new directions for the relations between Việt Nam and Slovakia. — VNA/VNS