India and Slovakia on Monday affirmed cooperation on “consular matters,” and agreed to adopt a mechanism for regular consular consultations to ensure a smooth visa process, legal migration and safety of citizens travelling between the two nations.
The move follows a significant surge in the movement of students, IT professionals, and skilled workers between New Delhi and Bratislava.
According to the joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks with his Slovakian counterpart, Robert Fico, the leaders recognised cooperation on consular affairs as a critical area of mutual interest. To manage the growing volume of bilateral travel, the two countries will establish a dedicated channel to allow respective consular authorities to coordinate directly.
“The leaders noted that cooperation on consular matters remained an area of continued interest to both countries, given the growing movement of people and expanding people-to-people ties,” the statement read. “In this context, they agreed to establish a mechanism for regular consular consultations between their respective consular authorities to facilitate cooperation on consular matters,” the statement read.
The decision to formalise consular talks closely aligns with a broader push for mobility made during PM Modi’s state visit, which also saw the exchange of a critical Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour migration and a commitment to finalise a mutual social security agreement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the MoU, said that the agreement will help enhance the mobility of professionals and skilled workers, lauding it as a step towards “close coordination” on the global platform.
“India and Slovakia are also moving forward in close coordination on the global stage. We agree that all disputes and tensions should be resolved peacefully. Today, we announced an MoU on labour migration to enhance the mobility of professionals and skilled workers between our two countries. We will also soon finalise an MoU on social security,” he said.
The PM further extended a heartfelt invitation to the citizens of Slovakia to India, stating, “On behalf of 140 crore Indians, I invite you to visit India, and I am delighted that you have publicly accepted this invitation.”
Shedding light on the MoU on digital technology, the PM said that it will create new possibilities for cooperation between the two countries in “digital public infrastructure.” He further expressed gratitude towards the establishment of an “India Chair on AI” at a Slovakian University.
“Technology is a key pillar of our future partnership. The MoU signed today on digital technology will open up new possibilities for cooperation in digital public infrastructure. I am delighted that an India Chair on AI is being established at a Slovakian university,” the PM said.
(ANI)
