Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) met with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot during his working visit to France on Tuesday. Blanar also held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron's adviser on Europe Alexis Dutertre.
During the talks with Barrot, Blanár said Slovakia and France have been strategic partners since 2008, when the relevant agreement was signed on behalf of Slovakia by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD).
According to the ministry, France is among Slovakia's most important partners within the EU, with the annual foreign trade turnover reaching €7.8 billion. Blanár noted that both countries face a number of challenges, including in the automotive industry.
"One of the French investments in Slovakia is the Stellantis car manufacturing plant in Trnava, which faces the same problems as other carmakers. Slovakia is therefore raising these issues even at the EU level in an effort to defend their interests,” the Minister said.
Blanár pointed out that Slovakia is the second-largest producer of nuclear-generated electricity in Europe after France. In this area, both countries can share their expertise and build on past cooperation.
Blanár also met with French president's Europe Adviser Alexis Dutertre to discuss European issues, the war in Ukraine - including the peace initiative proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump - as well as energy, transatlantic relations, or defence and security.
Source: TASR
