Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has shown interest in visiting Slovakia and meeting his Slovak counterpart Robert Kaliňák, said Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár (both Smer-SD) at a briefing after talks with several representatives of the Australian government in Canberra on Thursday.
A business delegation from Australia is also expected to visit Slovakia in order to follow up on meetings with Slovak businesses and institutions in Sydney and Canberra.
Blanár and Marles spoke about how the two countries could cooperate, including via European Union (EU) instruments, recalling that the EU and Australia have signed a Security and Defence Partnership.
"Australia has also presented a new security and defence industry strategy, which offers opportunities for cooperation," said Blanár, adding that Slovakia could take part in defence industry trade fairs held in Australia.
During a meeting with Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell, Blanár discussed various opportunities for mutual trade and meetings between business representatives.
"It's important for us to precisely identify areas with a potential for good cooperation so that we don't raise topics in which we might not find a strong base in the end. So, I appreciated the offer from the trade minister, who is ready to organise such a mission to Slovakia as well. We'll work with the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) and Eximbanka to make sure that we're prepared for it," stated Blanár.
He also held a bilateral meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. They agreed that the two countries will coordinate their candidacies for non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
"We'll consult on many steps as early as during the preparatory process for the candidacies, and we'll also align our priorities to be able to leverage synergies during the year when we both serve on the Security Council," said Blanár, adding that Slovakia is seeking a seat on the UN Security Council in 2028 and 2029, while Australia is aiming for 2029 and 2030.
Speaking with Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Assistant Minister for Immigration, Blanár addressed Australia's Work and Holiday visa programme for young people, which has been temporarily suspended.
"This scheme is reopening, and the quotas available for Slovakia remain the same. This will be another opportunity to strengthen our partnership, as relations between people are very important," stressed Blanár.
The chief of Slovak diplomacy is paying a working visit to Thailand and Australia between 11-17 October in order to strengthen political ties, support Slovak exports and open up new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and technology. Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nominee) is also part of the delegation.
Source: TASR
