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| Slovakia and Japan want to open a new chapter in mutual relations |
| Bratislava, 01.09.2026 |
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| The Slovak Republic and Japan are interested in further strengthening political dialogue, economic ties, mutual investments, as well as cooperation within international organizations in the coming period. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanár, who received his Japanese counterpart, Tošimica Motegi, in Bratislava on Monday. TASR was informed about this by the Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MZVEZ) of the Slovak Republic.
According to Blanár, the visit of the head of Japanese diplomacy to Slovakia confirms the importance of Slovak-Japanese relations and the interest of both countries in their further deepening. "Our relations with Japan are traditionally friendly, based on mutual trust and cooperation. I believe that with today's negotiations we have laid a solid foundation for a new stage of more intensive contacts between the countries and we will fully utilize the potential that exists in the economy, investments, science and technology," said the head of Slovak diplomacy.
According to Blanár, an important impetus for further deepening economic ties is the takeover of U. S. Steel Košice by the Japanese concern Nippon Steel. From October 1, 2026, the company is to take over direct ownership of the Košice steelworks, which will also be renamed Nippon Steel Slovakia.
"We perceive the entry of Nippon Steel into Košice as a strategic milestone in Slovak-Japanese economic relations. This is a significant investor that can bring new dynamics not only to the modernization of industry, the introduction of new technologies and investments with high added value. The Slovak Republic is ready to provide maximum cooperation to this project," confirmed the Slovak minister.
Japan is among the significant foreign investors in Slovakia. Currently, 76 Japanese companies operate here, employing almost 20,000 people. As Blanár informed, Japanese investors were among the first to enter the Slovak market after the establishment of the independent Slovak Republic and also played a significant role in building the country's economic foundations. In 1993, the Japanese rating company JBRI issued the first international investment rating of Slovakia, which enabled the issuance of securities, which later contributed to the building of foreign exchange reserves and the stabilization of the Slovak economy.
During the meeting, the ministers also agreed on other specific steps that will support mutual trade and investment. According to Blanár, Slovakia is interested in welcoming representatives of the largest Japanese employers' association Keidanren and creating space for the search for new business opportunities between entrepreneurs from both countries. At the same time, the partners discussed the upcoming visit of representatives of the Japanese organization for the promotion of external trade and investment JETRO to eastern Slovakia with the aim of introducing them to the activities of Nippon Steel and the investment potential of the region.
An important topic of the meeting of the heads of diplomacy was also the coordination of both countries at the multilateral level. "In the current geopolitical situation, it is extremely important that countries that pledge to respect international law cooperate intensively. That is why we want to deepen our dialogue with Japan within the framework of the United Nations and other international organizations," said Blanár.
He added that Slovakia and Japan support each other in their candidacies to the UN Security Council, with Japan supporting Slovakia's candidacy for 2028-2029 and Slovakia's candidacy for 2033-2034. The ministers also agreed on more intensive coordination and regular exchange of positions between the diplomatic missions of both countries to the UN in New York.
The head of Slovak diplomacy also invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the Three Seas Initiative summit and business forum, which will take place in April 2027 in Bratislava during the Slovak presidency. "Japan is a strategic partner of this format and we see room for its involvement in projects in the areas of energy, transport, digitalization and artificial intelligence. The invitation follows up on intensive contacts at the highest level, which were confirmed in the past period by the visits of the President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini and the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Richard Raši to Japan," Blanár explained.
Both sides simultaneously confirmed their interest in developing a partnership in science, research and modern technologies. Slovak and Japanese scientific institutions are already cooperating on several projects, with further space offered mainly in the areas of innovation, artificial intelligence, digitalization and security. Cultural cooperation, as well as support for youth exchanges through the working holiday program, remain part of the mutual relations.
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