Slovak-Chinese Cooperation: Government Gives Ministers More Than 20 Tasks

Bratislava, November 13 (TASR) - Following Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) recent visit to China and the plan to develop a strategic partnership between Bratislava and Beijing, several government members have been given more than 20 tasks for 2025, which the government approved along with their deadlines on Wednesday. Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) was tasked with forming a working group for investments and economic cooperation by April 2025 and subsequently overseeing an exchange of information and experience in, for instance, industrial policy, the use of clean energy sources and the bolstering of energy efficiency. She's also supposed to continue with efforts to attract Chinese investors via the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO). Transport Minister Jozef Raz (Smer-SD nominee) was given the task of drafting a Memorandum of Understanding on the Construction of the Karpaty Tunnel by March 2025 and setting up a communications link between relevant authorities of the two countries to support the introduction of freight container trains. Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) will prepare the first session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee between the Slovak Republic and the People's Republic of China in Bratislava in 2025. He was also given the task of expanding the network of visa centres in China to accept applications from selected groups of Chinese workers, entrepreneurs and students for short-term visas for travelling to Slovakia. Cooperation in tourism is to fall under the remit of Tourism and Sport Minister Dusan Keketi (SNS nominee). Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (SNS nominee) is to carry out a Programme of Cooperation in Culture Between Slovakia and China, while Education, Research, Development and Youth Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) was tasked with developing education initiatives aimed at supporting the study of the languages of both countries and academic mobility. The Foreign Affairs Ministry underlined that the two great accomplishments of the visit to China are the scrapping of the requirement for Slovak citizens who plan to stay in China for less than 15 days to obtain visas as well as confirmation of a large Chinese investment in the building of an electric car-battery facility in Surany. mf/df