Slovak Republic

Area: 18,859 sq mi (48,845 sq km)

Population (20010 est.): 5,477,038

Capital: Bratislava

Languages: Slovak (official)

Ethnicity/race: Slovak 85.7%, Hungarian 10.6%, Roma 1.6%, Ukrainian 1% and other 1.8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5%

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.): $127,1 billion; per capita $23,400.

Real growth rate: 3.3%. Inflation: over 3%. Unemployment: 13,4%.

Agriculture: grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultry; forest products. Labor force: industry 27%, agriculture 3.5%, services 69.4% (2010).

Industries: metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products.

Natural resources: brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land.

Exports: $64.18 billion (2010): 

Imports: $62.43 billion (2010):

Major trading partners: Germany, Czech Republic,Russia, South Korea, China, Hungary, Poland.

President: Ivan Gasparovic (2004-2014)

Prime Minister: Iveta Radicova (2010-2012)

Viet Nam - Slovakia Relation

In January 1993 Czechoslovakia was replaced by two independent states: Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Viet Nam and Slovakia declared to inheritance the former relationship between Viet Nam and Czechoslovakia, getting the date 2 February 1950 as a date of establishing their diplomatic ties.

1. Politics

Over the past years, Viet Nam’s leader's visits to Slovakia include those conducted by Chairman of the National Assembly Nong Duc Manh (1995), Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc Luong (1994), Vice President Truong My Hoa (10/2005) and Prime President Nguyen Minh Triet (9/2007).

Slovak leaders' visits to Viet Nam: Prime Minister (1994), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001), President I.Gasparovic (10/2006), Prime Minister R.Fico (10/2008), Chairman of  National Council Pavon Pascal (1/2010), Minister of Economy Juraj Miskov (4/2011).

2. Economic and trade

The two countries maintain and develop traditional friendship cooperation in all areas on the basis of mutual benefit.

The two countries wish to further promote development cooperation in areas of economic, trade and investment and complement each other in areas that two countries have strengths such as  atomic energy, environment, health care, agricultural production, culture, education, chemicals, equipment….

The development of the bilateral economic and commercial relations has not matched potentials and wishes of the two countries. In recent years, the trade turnover has increased considerably (turnover in 2007: 75 million. US, 2008: 100 mil, 2009 :96 mil., 2010: 127 mil., 2011 more than 150 mil).

In 2006, Viet Nam and Slovak signed Agreement on Economic and Trade Cooperation. In base of this Agreement, the Viet Nam – Slovak Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation was established.

3. Education and training cooperation

Annually, Slovak grants 5 scholarships to higher and postgraduate students to Viet Nam

4. Vietnamese community in Slovak

At present, there are about 5,000 Vietnamese people living, working, studying in Slovak. They  play an important role in developing the economic and commercial relations between the two countries.

5. Viet Nam and Slovak have signed many cooperation agreements:

 Including an agreement on consul cooperation (1980), an agreement on judicial assistance in (1982), an agreement on health care cooperation (1994), an agreement on cultural cooperation (1997), an agreement on air transport (1997), an agreement on economic cooperation (2006), an agreement on avoidance of double taxation (2008), an agreement on investment promotion and protection in (2009), a Protocol on cooperation between Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovak (2009), an agreement on 2008-2010 education and training cooperation…

Addresses of Diplomatic Mission

Vietnamese embassy in the Slovak Republic
Dunajska 15, Bratislava, PO 81108

Tel: 00-421-2-52451263
Fax: 00-421-2-52451273
Email:vnembassy_sk@yahoo.com

Slovak Republic embassy in Viet Nam
12 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Hanoi

Tel: 0084-4-37347601/602
Fax: 0084-4-37347603
Email: emb.hanoi@mzv.sk