Singapore, 5 February 2026 – “Slovakia can also serve as a gateway to Europe for Singapore, which is the fifth-largest investor in the European Union,” stated the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, who arrived on an official visit to the Republic of Singapore.
Today, he held bilateral talks with Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and for Trade and Industry, Gan Siow Huang. He also opened a Slovak–Singapore business seminar aimed at connecting companies from both countries and identifying concrete opportunities for trade, investment, and technological projects. The event was held in cooperation with the Singapore Business Federation and the Central & Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.
Singapore is a global hub of world trade, an important innovation and financial centre, and a natural gateway to Asia.
“We have a solid contractual framework, including an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation, investment protection agreements, as well as significant agreements concluded with Singapore through the European Union. All of this gives us great opportunities to participate in the investments that Singapore is carrying out on a large scale within the Union,” said Minister Blanár.
According to him, Slovakia can offer cooperation in the areas of information and communication technologies, digitalisation, research and development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, green technologies, water and waste management, as well as in the defence industry.
“Singapore and the Slovak Republic are also close in that we pursue a highly sovereign foreign policy based on promoting respect for the principles of international law, which I believe strongly connects us,” emphasised the Slovak Foreign Minister, adding that the two countries therefore support each other in various candidacies.
This includes Slovakia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2028–2029, as well as other organisations where Singapore has sought support, such as elections to the International Court of Justice.
Minister Juraj Blanár discussed with Minister of State Gan Siow Huang strengthening trade, bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Singapore. He confirmed that the aim of the visit is also to secure support for Slovakia’s formal accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), one of the founding agreements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“Singapore itself is a member of ASEAN together with ten other Southeast Asian countries. This step provides us with significant opportunities to be even more active in the Indo-Pacific and to promote our strategic orientation toward this dynamic region, which we have defined. In addition, we are opening new embassies in this area – in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia,” Minister J. Blanár informed.
The Slovak Foreign Minister also opened a business seminar in Singapore attended by 20 representatives of Slovak companies who travelled to Southeast Asia together with Minister Juraj Blanár as part of his business delegation.
“I am pleased that companies interested in operating in this region have come, creating new contacts and opportunities for cooperation. Slovak firms are active in Singapore and are beginning to establish themselves in green energy, information technology, and artificial intelligence,” J. Blanár explained, adding that Slovakia also records several Singaporean companies as good examples of partnerships that other investors may follow.
The head of Slovak diplomacy noted that Slovakia’s presence in Singapore is not merely formal.
“It is part of the new Strategic Concept for the Engagement of the Slovak Republic in the Indo-Pacific region, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented in December 2025. Its goal is the systematic and practical deepening of ties with partners interested in cooperation with Slovakia – and Singapore holds a strong position among them,” concluded Minister Juraj Blanár.
Source: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
