Bavaria’s Economics Vice-Minister Hessel meets Slovak Economy Minister in Munich

Hessel: “We must use our common basis to develop Bavarian-Slovak business relations”

MUNICH    Bavaria’s Economics Vice-Minister, Katja Hessel, met the Slovak Minister of Economy, Dr. Juraj Miškov, yesterday for talks in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. Only last November, Hessel had visited the Slovak Republic with a delegation of entrepreneurs, representatives of chambers and associations as well as members of the Bavarian State Parliament. The focus of this visit was on developing Bavarian-Slovak business contacts especially in the automotive and electrical engineering sectors.
 
“Economy Minister Miškov and I were able to share and exchange ideas on general economic topics and specific matters of interest. Our positions on economic issues have much in common. I am impressed by the pace of reform and the liberal spirit with which Slovakia has introduced changes to laws on tax issues, social security charges and public health”, commented Hessel. There are also perspectives for closer cooperation in the fields of automotive and eMobility. The Vice-Minister emphasised that it was particularly important for Bavaria and Slovakia, as leading European and global automotive locations, to press ahead with future-oriented solutions and projects, especially in the context of eMobility. “In addition, I was able to instigate concrete projects for improving the railway connection between Munich and Bratislava as well as air-traffic routes and so underline the competence of Bavarian companies.”
 
Over the past few years, Bavarian-Slovak business relations have developed very dynamically. In the wake of the slump in trade resulting from the economic and financial crisis, the bilateral exchange of goods gained momentum again in 2010. Compared with the previous year, the volume of trade increased by 33 per cent to euro 4 billion and in the first half of 2011 had already reached euro 2.42 billion. The Slovak Republic is Bavaria’s fourth most important trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe and ranks in 17th place worldwide. Nearly 1,700 Bavarian entrepreneurs maintain business relations with the Slovak Republic.