Miloslav Čurilla, President of the Slovak Pulp and Paper Industry Association, attended the Slovak-Indian Business Forum, which brought together the highest representatives of Slovak politics, the Indian Government and Slovak industry. At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi discussed new opportunities for economic cooperation between Slovakia and India with representatives of the Slovak business sector.
Participation in this forum represented a significant professional and social opportunity for the Slovak Pulp and Paper Industry Association. On this occasion, President Miloslav Čurilla emphasised that he greatly valued the opportunity to hold talks at the same table with the leading representative of India, the most populous country in the world — not only from an economic perspective, but also personally.
“Such an opportunity does not arise every day. India represents an exceptionally dynamic market and offers scope for new partnerships, investments and industrial cooperation. We highly appreciate that the Slovak Pulp and Paper Industry Association could be part of this dialogue,” said Miloslav Čurilla, President of the Association.
The President of the Slovak Pulp and Paper Industry Association also highly praised the organisation of the business forum, which, in his view, reflected the importance of the event and was prepared at a high governmental and economic level. Thanks are due to the Government of the Slovak Republic, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, as well as to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Minister Juraj Blanár, and Daniela Koladová, Director-General of the Department of Bilateral Trade Cooperation, for creating space for such an important dialogue between Slovak industry and the Indian side.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between India and Slovakia, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, energy, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, healthcare, defence and industrial investment. The Indian side presented reforms supporting a transparent and investor-friendly business environment and encouraged Slovak companies to take advantage of the growing opportunities on the Indian market.
Industry representatives welcomed India’s reforms aimed at achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat and expressed confidence in the country’s economic direction. They also showed interest in strengthening their presence in India through increased investment, technological partnerships and joint ventures with Indian companies. They further welcomed the conclusion of a free trade agreement between India and the European Union, emphasising that its implementation could bring new business opportunities.
The participation of the President of the Slovak Pulp and Paper Industry Association in the forum confirms the interest of the Slovak pulp and paper industry in international cooperation, new business opportunities and the development of contacts with partners outside the European Union. As a growing global economy, India represents significant potential for Slovak industry and a space that deserves attention also from traditional sectors such as the pulp and paper industry.
