RIYADH: The Slovakian ambassador in Saudi Arabia says he hopes to see a growth in tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries.
Slovak Ambassador, Rudolf Michalka told Arab News that while the embassy had only been open for a year, he was eager for relations to grow with the Kingdom, without specifying any numbers.
“I hope we will have more and more tourists from your country, more businessmen from your country, more officials from your country, and vice versa,” Michalka said.
“This is my goal. This is what I will be working on for the next three years,” he added.
Slovakia is a relatively new country, having been formed in 1993 following the breakup of Czechoslovakia.
It celebrated its national day on Nov. 17, marking the day Slovakia regained its freedom and began to build a democratic system.
Despite the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1989 through to 1992, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have remained close partners.
Slovakia has since become a member of Nato and the European Union – adopting the euro a short time later, and has also joined the Schengen area.
“I understand that my country is not that well known, and this is a chance to present who we are,” he added.
“We have beautiful nature, we have very nice people, and we invite Saudis to visit my country.”
The ambassador said that people from Slovakia were eager to visit Saudi Arabia because they “love the desert, the warm seas and especially the warm people.”
Last week the Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim, signed an agreement with Slovakia to avoid double taxation.
The agreement was aimed at providing tax benefits and exemptions on government investments, promoting fairness and equal opportunities for investors, and strengthening economic relations and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Slovakia.
The agreement was signed during the Minister's official visit to Slovakia.
(Additional reporting by Peter Harrison)
