Thanks to the reopening of its embassy in Canberra, Slovakia now has its strongest-ever diplomatic presence in Australia at a time when the EU and Australia have concluded a free trade agreement (FTA), said Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár on Wednesday following the official reopening of the Slovak Embassy in Canberra.
"The embassy offers a tremendous opportunity to implement the government manifesto, in which we defined the Indo-Pacific region as an area in which we want to be much more active. This applies not only to political and diplomatic relations, but also to economic cooperation. It simply cannot be done without having an embassy here," said the minister.
Slovak Ambassador to Australia Monika Tomašovičová expects the reopening of the embassy to elevate political and economic ties and to foster better cooperation in culture, science and engagement in the activities of the expatriate community. In addition to the FTA, she highlighted Australia's association with the Horizon Europe programme, which, she said, could help boost cooperation between Slovak and Australian universities.
In addition to Australia, the Slovak Embassy in Canberra is accredited to 12 other countries in the region: the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu and the Republic of Vanuatu.
The Slovak Embassy in Canberra was closed by the government in office at the time at the end of 2022, while a consulate general was set up in Sydney. The embassy in Tokyo took over the responsibilities of the diplomatic mission.
The Slovak government decided to reopen the embassy in Canberra in May 2024. The ambassador presented her credentials to Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn on 10 December 2025. In addition to the embassy, the Slovak Consulate General in Sydney will continue to operate, providing Slovak citizens with assistance regarding consular matters.
Source: TASR
