Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Juraj Blanar gave an exclusive interview to APA. He spoke about the results of President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Slovakia on December 8-9, Azerbaijan-Slovakia relations and prospects for future cooperation.
Slovakia-Azerbaijan relations have expanded significantly in a number of areas
–What work has been carried out within the framework of the Joint declaration on establishing strategic partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Slovak Republic?
– Our bilateral relations have significantly deepened and expanded in several areas since the signing of the Joint Declaration on Establishing Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Slovak Republic on May 7, 2024, during the official visit of Prime Minister Robert Fico to Baku.
The implementation of this Strategic Partnership is clearly evidenced by the remarkable intensity of high-level contacts over the past months. Azerbaijan has been visited by several prominent Slovak officials, the President of the Supreme Court, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, who attended the parade on the occasion of Victory Day.
This dynamic exchange at the highest levels demonstrates our strong commitment to implementing the Strategic Partnership across multiple sectors, including political dialogue, security cooperation, justice and rule of law, and defense collaboration.
Slovakia remains dedicated to further developing this partnership, which serves the mutual interests of both our nations and contributes to regional stability and cooperation.
Current state of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia is excellent and dynamic
– How do you assess the current state of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia, and in which areas can cooperation be further developed?
–The current state of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Slovakia is excellent and dynamically developing. Following the establishment of our Embassy in Baku in 2019 and the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Bratislava in 2023, our mutual trade has increased eightfold. This remarkable growth demonstrates the enormous potential of our bilateral economic partnership.
Our mutual foreign trade turnover in 2019 reached 24.4 million EUR, in 2024 reached 210.9 million EUR (export 111 million EUR and import 99.9 million EUR), with a positive balance in favour of Slovakia 11.1 million EUR. Slovakia belongs to the top three exporters of cars to Azerbaijan. The largest import item to the Slovak Republic was oil and oil products, valued at 98.52 million EUR (99 percent of imports from Azerbaijan).
Azerbaijan plays a strategic role in Europe's energy diversification
We continue to see significant opportunities for deepening our cooperation in multiple areas, particularly in trade and economic cooperation where we are building on our already impressive growth trajectory. Energy security remains a priority, given Azerbaijan's strategic role in energy diversification for Europe. We also recognize the importance of strengthening our security cooperation and enhancing cultural exchange to foster people-to-people contacts.
The strength of our bilateral relationship is further demonstrated by the intensity of our political contacts. Currently, we are witnessing the first historic official visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Slovakia, which represents a milestone in our relations. Looking ahead, several official and working visits by Slovak government representatives to Azerbaijan are planned for next year. This sustained and frequent political dialogue at the highest levels provides a strong foundation for continuing to deepen our bilateral relations across all sectors. Slovakia is committed to building on this positive momentum and further strengthening our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan.
You have certainly noticed that we signed five documents which enlarged the portfolio of our cooperation significantly, namely: Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on consular affairs; Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of animal health and food safety between the State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic and the Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Memorandum of Understanding between Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (KOBİA); Protocol of Intent on cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Defense Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
As you can see, not only Slovakia and Azerbaijan pay attention to traditional fields of mutual interest such as defense industry or commerce in general, but we also wish to help people and enrich ourselves through the means of art, music, theatre, and so on. The memoranda dedicated to consular affairs and culture speak for themselves in that regard.
In the light of the above, my impression of the first historic official visit of H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev to Slovakia is very positive. Mr. President had bilateral talks with his Slovak presidential counterpart, Mr. Peter Pellegrini and met also with the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Richard Raši, as well as with the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Robert Fico. I believe that this needs no further explanation. We proved the ongoing dynamics of our interstate relations is a continuous trend which merits consideration and promises further interactions for the time to come.
We highly appreciate Azerbaijan's support for Slovakia's candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council
– How do the two countries cooperate on international platforms?
– Within the framework of our Strategic Partnership, Slovakia and Azerbaijan have committed also to cooperate on international platforms. Slovakia consistently strives for an objective and positive presentation of Azerbaijan in international structures, advocating for balanced and fair approaches in multilateral forums.
We greatly appreciate Azerbaijan's support for Slovakia's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2028-2029. This mutual support on the international stage reflects the depth and maturity of our bilateral relations and our shared commitment to working together in advancing our common interests within the United Nations and other international organizations. Such cooperation strengthens not only our bilateral partnership but also contributes to effective multilateralism and constructive dialogue on global challenges.
Azerbaijan is an important partner for NATO
– How does Slovakia support the development of Azerbaijan–NATO relations within the role of its embassy in Baku as NATO’s contact embassy?
– The main task of a NATO Contact Point Embassy is to support NATO’s partnership activities and outreach efforts in – and in close cooperation with – the host country.
For example, we have facilitated several visits from NATO Headquarters and the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia (with a regional South Caucasus mandate). As Contact Point Embassies together with Sweden we have organized a several public diplomacy events for university students and representatives of civil society where we have shared information about NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation and activities conducted by NATO Mobile Training Teams in Azerbaijan as well.
Azerbaijan, despite not being interested to be a NATO member is an important Alliance partner - it brings practical input to operational missions, such as ISAF, which helps relieve pressure on NATO's mission in the region.
AZ is showing increased interest in approaching NATO standards, is interested in a range of programs, including educational, capacity building, energy security, combating hybrid warfare, and cooperation in the field of science.
Our cooperation in the military-technical and defense fields has significantly strengthened
– How would you assess military-technical and defence cooperation following the agreements signed during Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to Azerbaijan on May 7 last year?
– Following the agreements signed during Prime Minister Robert Fico's visit to Azerbaijan on May 7 last year, our military-technical and defence cooperation has intensified significantly. This is evidenced by the very high frequency of visits to Azerbaijan by senior defence officials as well as working-level expert groups, demonstrating the practical implementation of our commitments.
Azerbaijan has valuable practical experience with certain weapons systems and military equipment that are also part of our armed forces' arsenal. This creates natural opportunities for exchanging experiences, best practices, and technical knowledge. Moreover, Azerbaijan's defence industry has developed considerably, and Slovakia sees potential opportunities for procurement cooperation in specific areas.
Slovakia has historically maintained a very strong defence industry with significant technical expertise and production capabilities. Therefore, there is genuine mutual interest in cooperation where both sides have something valuable to offer. This reciprocal approach ensures that our defence partnership is balanced and mutually beneficial, combining Azerbaijan's operational experience and growing defence capabilities with Slovakia's established industrial and technical strengths. We see great potential for further developing this cooperation in the coming period, including possibilities for joint projects and reciprocal procurement arrangements.
Slovakia considers Azerbaijan an important strategic partner in efforts to diversify gas sources and transportation routes
– What new projects are being developed to expand cooperation in the energy sector?
– Given the current energy challenges facing Slovakia and the entire Central and Eastern European region, Slovakia considers Azerbaijan an important strategic partner in our efforts to diversify gas sources and transportation routes. This cooperation has become even more crucial in the context of the RePowerEU proposal, which aims to stop imports of Russian gas.
Gas deliveries from Azerbaijan offer genuine diversification of both transportation routes and sources. While we understand that short-term options are limited due to infrastructure constraints, Slovakia expresses its gratitude for Azerbaijan's involvement in addressing these challenges, both at governmental and corporate levels.
Our major gas supplier SPP is open to exploring long-term cooperation, whether in gas supplies or infrastructure projects targeting existing bottlenecks. The short-term pilot contract for natural gas supply with SOCAR was a good first step in this direction.
Slovakia emphasizes the importance of projects like the Solidarity Ring, Vertical Corridor, and Eastring, which have the potential to ensure gas supplies from diversified sources, including from Azerbaijan to our region. These projects align perfectly with the EU's broader efforts to diversify gas routes and sources, and Slovakia is committed to their implementation.
– What opportunities exist for strengthening cooperation in the field of agriculture?
Slovakia has extensive experience and a well-developed agricultural sector with numerous agricultural enterprises that possess significant expertise in modern farming practices, agricultural technologies, and rural development. Our agricultural sector has a long tradition.
We are aware that agriculture is gradually being restored and revitalized in the Karabakh region. Slovakia would be pleased to share our experience and expertise to support this important process.
Slovakia's agricultural sector is particularly strong in areas such as cereal production, livestock farming, and food processing. Our companies have proven capabilities in implementing modern agricultural technologies, efficient irrigation systems, and sustainable land management practices.
We see significant potential for cooperation not only in knowledge sharing but also in trade opportunities, joint ventures, and investment projects that could benefit both our agricultural sectors and contribute to food security in the region.
Slovakia welcomes positive development of relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan
– As a member of the European Union, how does Slovakia support the positive development of Azerbaijan–EU relations?
– Slovakia welcomes the positive development of relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan. We recognize Azerbaijan as a strategic partner for the EU, particularly in the context of energy diversification and security of supply.
Slovakia has consistently maintained a principled position toward Azerbaijan, firmly supporting its territorial integrity and sovereignty. This has been a cornerstone of our bilateral relations and will remain so.
Moving forward, Slovakia will continue to pursue an objective and pragmatic approach in our engagement with Azerbaijan. We encourage our EU partners to focus on a positive agenda of cooperation with Azerbaijan, emphasizing mutually beneficial partnerships.
We believe it is important to avoid the application of double standards that, regrettably, are sometimes applied to certain countries. Slovakia advocates for a consistent, fair, and balanced approach in the EU's relations with all partners, including Azerbaijan and also Armenia for that matter.
By maintaining this constructive stance, Slovakia aims to contribute to strengthening Azerbaijan-EU relations in a manner that serves the interests of both sides and promotes stability and prosperity in the wider region.
Slovakia welcomes with great satisfaction the agreements signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on August 8
– How does Slovakia view the documents signed on August 8 in Washington to advance the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia?
– Slovakia warmly welcomed the agreements signed on August 8 in Washington between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the presence of President Trump. These agreements mark a significant breakthrough to end decades of conflict in the region. We highly appreciate the enormous contribution of the United States of America and President Donald Trump in facilitating this historic achievement.
For us as an EU member country, this is also very strong proof that peace solutions are possible even in the most complex and long-standing conflicts. The Washington agreement demonstrates that with genuine political will, constructive dialogue, and effective international engagement, peaceful resolutions can be reached. Slovakia believes that these agreements open a new chapter for the South Caucasus region, creating opportunities for stability, prosperity, and cooperation.
Slovakia is very pleased that Slovak companies have the opportunity to participate in the restoration of socio-economic life in Karabakh
– Is it planned to expand the scope of Slovak companies in the restoration and reconstruction work in Karabakh?
– Slovakia is very pleased that Slovak companies have the opportunity to participate in the restoration of socio-economic life in Karabakh.
As you well know, our Smart Village Bash Garvand project already began implementation in September of this year. Slovakia was thus the first country to receive the opportunity to implement such an important project. This is also a clear demonstration of the strength and quality of our bilateral relations and the trust that exists between our two countries.
We view this project not only as a business opportunity but also as our contribution to rebuilding normal life for people who have suffered from the consequences of conflict. Slovak companies bring their expertise, technology, and experience to help create modern, sustainable infrastructure in these territories. We hope that the successful implementation of the Smart Village project will pave the way for further Slovak participation in reconstruction efforts across Karabakh, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
We believe that with the signing of the third intergovernmental economic agreement on the promotion and protection of investments (the first is an agreement on economic cooperation and the second on the avoidance of double taxation), Slovak companies will establish themselves in Karabakh and direct investments will enter our mutual activities.
