Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Slovakia’s highest national award, the Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class), during his visit to Bratislava on Monday. The honour was presented by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at a special ceremony in the Slovak capital. The award marks the 33rd international honour received by PM Modi and comes during his week-long visit to Europe.

The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) is Slovakia’s highest civilian and military state decoration awarded exclusively to foreign citizens. The recognition reflects the growing relationship between India and Slovakia and highlights the strengthening ties between the two countries.

After receiving the award, PM Modi expressed gratitude to the people and government of Slovakia. In a social media post, he said, "Honoured to receive The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) in Bratislava this evening. My gratitude to the people and Government of Slovakia for this honour, which belongs to the 140 crore people of India. I dedicate this award to the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia."

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi described the honour as a reflection of the warmth, trust and affection shared by the people of India and Slovakia. He said the recognition would inspire future generations in both countries to continue strengthening their friendship and cooperation.

The visit is significant as it marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia. Along with diplomatic engagements, the visit has focused strongly on economic cooperation and expanding business partnerships between the two nations.

As part of his engagements in Bratislava, PM Modi held an interaction with leading Slovak business and industry representatives. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also participated in the meeting. The discussion focused on expanding economic cooperation, attracting investments and promoting partnerships in the technology and manufacturing sectors.

Business leaders from a wide range of industries attended the interaction. These sectors included railways, defence, automobiles, energy, information technology and healthcare. The meeting reflected the increasing scope of economic cooperation between India and Slovakia and highlighted growing interest among Slovak companies in the Indian market.

During the interaction, PM Modi welcomed the increasing business-to-business engagement between the two countries. He highlighted the economic reforms introduced by India in recent years and said these measures have improved the ease of doing business. He noted that the reforms have helped create a transparent, stable and investor-friendly environment for global investors.

The Prime Minister invited Slovak companies to explore investment opportunities in India and encouraged them to expand their presence through technology partnerships, manufacturing collaborations and joint ventures. He highlighted opportunities in several fast-growing sectors including infrastructure, defence manufacturing, renewable energy, digital innovation, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and healthcare.

An official government release stated, "Prime Minister Modi appreciated the expanding business-to-business engagement between India and Slovakia and highlighted the major reforms and policy initiatives introduced by India in recent years to promote ease of doing business and foster a transparent, stable and investor-friendly economic environment."

The interaction took place at a time when India is working to strengthen economic ties with European countries and attract greater foreign investment. These efforts are aligned with the government's long-term vision of “Viksit Bharat”, which aims to transform India into a developed nation by 2047.

Industry leaders who attended the meeting expressed confidence in India's economic growth and welcomed the reforms introduced by the government. They showed interest in expanding their operations in India through fresh investments, technology cooperation and partnerships with Indian companies.

The business representatives also welcomed the conclusion of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement. They said the agreement would create new opportunities for trade and investment and help strengthen economic ties between India and European businesses.

According to the government release, industry leaders believed that the implementation of the agreement would unlock new business opportunities and promote deeper cooperation between Indian and European companies across multiple sectors.

The interaction formed an important part of PM Modi’s Slovakia visit and reflected the shared commitment of both countries to expand cooperation beyond traditional sectors. The discussions focused on building stronger economic and technological partnerships while encouraging greater collaboration between businesses from both nations.

The visit highlighted Slovakia’s growing interest in India’s large consumer market, skilled workforce and rapidly expanding manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. With stronger diplomatic engagement, increasing trade opportunities and growing business interest, both countries are looking to elevate their relationship and create new avenues for long-term cooperation.