Bratislava, June 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday lauded India's economic growth, digital transformation and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), stating that India is "ahead of many advanced countries."
Addressing a joint press meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their meeting in Bratislava on Monday, Fico said, "Slovak Republic and India are countries which are connected by a number of common topics...I would like to warmly congratulate India for the fantastic results which you are achieving. It is a great honour for me, as a Prime Minister... to welcome in Slovakia, the PM of the country with the largest population in the world, but at the same time a country which is the fifth biggest economy in the world, and it has the ambition to be the third biggest economy in the world."
"Distinguished Prime Minister, I congratulate you for the results in all areas which you have achieved. Allow me to mention one area where you dominate actually, it is the field of digitalisation and the use of Artificial Intelligence. You have come so far that you are actually faster than countries from Western Europe like France or the Germany. You are ahead of many advanced countries in different parts of the world. I would like to congratulate you for the economic growth which is amazing. What would European Union do it could achieve 6-7 per cent growth? Unfortunately we are struggling in the European Union with the question of competitiveness which is in conflict with two ambitious climate goals," he added.
Fico also called for reform of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and expressed support for India becoming a permanent member of the UNSC. He stressed that complying with international law will help to resolve conflicts and wars.
"When I said, we have common opinions. I would like to highlight three issues. With great respect, I follow sovereign attitudes and positions of India. And me, as the Prime Minister of Slovak Republic, I pursue a sovereign foreign policy of Slovakia oriented on all four cardinal points. With great respect, I follow how international law, how important it is to you, only if we comply with the international law, only in that way we'll be able to resolve conflicts and wars. And, we also share the same opinion when it comes to the importance of multilateralism in international politics. I would like to publicly declare that the government of the Slovak Republic supports a reform of the United Nations and we're strongly convinced that countries like India have to be, I will repeat this, they have to be the part of the Security Council of the United Nations as permanent member," he added.
Fico also congratulated PM Modi for becoming the longest-serving Prime Minister of India, calling it "political miracle" as there are so many political parties in India. He welcomed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) reached between India and the European Union and expressed readiness to take all steps to implement the agreement at an earliest.
"Slovakia welcomes the fact that an agreement was reached between the EU and India when it comes to free trade. It's one of the most ambitious free trade agreements which have ever been signed and Slovakia is a country which not only welcomes this agreement, but will do all necessary and practical steps that this agreement is implemented as fast as possible," he said.
Source: IANS
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