Peter Pellegrini: China-Slovakia relations have reached the highest level in history
International relations develop not only through official negotiations but also through direct dialogue, exchanges of experience and the search for new areas of cooperation. State visits provide opportunities to strengthen mutual trust and create new prospects for partnership.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said bilateral relations between Slovakia and China have reached “the highest level in history” following his state visit to China from Monday to Wednesday.
The trip marked Pellegrini’s first state visit to China as president of Slovakia. During the visit, he held high-level talks with Chinese leaders and visited advanced technology facilities in Beijing, including a robotic shopping center and the headquarters of Chinese technology giant Baidu. In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, Pellegrini highlighted the historic importance of the visit and said he had witnessed remarkable changes in China during his trip.
“For me and for Slovakia, this is a historic visit because after 23 years, this is once again a state visit by a Slovak president to China. Therefore, it is very important for relations between Slovakia and China. I had the opportunity to visit China in 2015 and 2017, once as speaker of parliament and once as deputy prime minister. So I can compare and see the great changes China has achieved over the past decade, and how developed the country I am visiting now has become compared with what it was probably 10 years ago. I am truly impressed,” Pellegrini said. The Slovak president also expressed appreciation for the warm reception and substantive discussions held during the visit.
“This visit was conducted at the highest level, and the wonderful meeting with President Xi Jinping, as well as the topics we discussed, prove that relations between China and Slovakia are now at the highest level in our history. I am very pleased and very grateful for that,” Pellegrini said.
Background: China and Slovakia have maintained diplomatic relations for decades and cooperate in areas including trade, industry, innovation, transportation and technological development. In recent years, both sides have focused on expanding cooperation in advanced technologies and strengthening business ties.
As reported by CCTV+, the Slovak president’s visit to China marked a new stage in bilateral cooperation and demonstrated the willingness of both countries to further deepen their partnership.
