The Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) prepared the International Business Day 2023 - the international cooperation event on May 10, 2023, in Bratislava. The event was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic and in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Bratislava and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.The event welcomed 151 companies, which had more than 500 mutual negotiations on future business cooperation planned throughout the day. In addition to more than one hundred Slovak companies and the numerously represented Czech Republic, the event was also attended by companies from ten other countries around the world.The International Business Day 2023 was opened by Róbert Šimončič, CEO of SARIO. He thanked Rudolf Jindrák, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Slovakia, for the excellent long-term cooperation with the Czech Republic and emphasized that even today's event abundant participation of companies testifies to the fact that the connection between the Czech and Slovak companies, industry and trade is very strong. "We, as SARIO, build bridges, and whether companies cross these bridges is up to them. These bridges must also be built between the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, even if it looks like we are naturally connected. There is a space not only for our mutual trade, as well as, for example, for the joint development of joint products, systems, etc., while we can subsequently jointly attack other markets."Rudolf Jindrák, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Slovakia, recalled the mutual historical connection between the two countries and stressed "one great advantage - the possibility of speaking our own language in our mutual relations and in business."ČSOB was the general partner of the event. Milan Hrompa, Director of the Department of specialized financing and corporate banking support at ČSOB, reminded that "banks as such have a specific position, especially in our Czech-Slovak space, where not only are we close as nations, but our banks are also interconnected. Československá obchodná banka even has it in its name. Its representation in both countries and its focus on trade and industry and export support is long-term." As an example of interdependence, he stated that in the near future, ČSOB should bring its platform to the Czech market, which connects investors and companies looking for investors.Martin Pospíšil, Director of the Department of European Countries at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, presented the program of humanitarian, stabilization, reconstruction, and economic aid to Ukraine for the period 2023-2025, within which the Czech Republic will provide 500 million CZK (approx. 21.5 million EUR) per year. In addition to many tools and activities to help Ukraine, he mentioned the Business Club Ukraine, for the coordination of Czech business entities in the search for specific industry synergies and solutions to current needs in the planning and implementation of the reconstruction of Ukraine. More than 250 companies are involved in the club.Andrea Krajčíková, Director General of the Section of Foreign Trade Policy and European Affairs of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic mentioned that, unlike the Czech Republic, Slovakia managed to hold the 5th session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Industrial, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between the Slovak Republic and Ukraine at the end of last year, which was preceded by a trade forum with Slovak companies in Uzhhorod organized by the SARIO agency. She sees space in the possibilities for companies to create specific projects, which would then be offered to specific consortia that know how to finance them, be it the IMF, IBRD, EBRD, or another fund. At the same time, she mentioned that "the SARIO agency did a very good job when it created a list of more than 280 Slovak companies that are interested in participating in the development of Ukraine." Moreover, she also appreciated the idea presented by Martin Pospíšil - Business Club Ukraine, which Slovakia could be inspired by.The expert discussions were followed by pre-planned business negotiations of participants of the International Business Day 2023 from 12 countries and from various sectors.On November 23, 2023, the Slovak Agency for the Development of Investments and Trade is preparing the Slovak Industry VISION Day 2023. In addition to bilateral negotiations, participants will have the opportunity to actively participate in professional discussions, get to know attractive innovative projects, and undergo individual consultations in the field of export, investment financing, etc.
