Chovanec: Slovakia wants to be part of Team Europe and the EU Global Gateway strategy
Brussels – Slovakia wants to be part of Team Europe and the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy, as it opens the way for Slovak companies to third countries. On Thursday, after the conclusion of the two-day Global Gateway forum in Brussels, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Rastislav Chovanec stated this for TASR. The event was attended as a guest by the well-known Slovak scientist Pavol Čekan at the invitation of the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen.
Team Europe, meaning the countries and institutions of the EU, has mobilized more than 306 billion euros over the past four years to support EU partnerships around the world. Rastislav Chovanec specified that this initiative has great potential for European, and thus Slovak companies to establish themselves in third countries, especially in less developed states that the initiative targets. He pointed out that Slovakia, as a smaller country, does not have dominant companies and has not yet had specific investments through Team Europe, but this is changing.
Slovakia wants to use Global Gateway for investments in Ukraine, plans to invest in Kenya
“Thanks to the Ukraine tool, the first 100 million euros were approved in Brussels in cooperation between the Eximbank and the Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation. Through this initiative, we will address four energy projects in Ukraine,” he explained.
He believes that this will serve as a guide for how Slovak companies can get involved in the Global Gateway initiative. He added that preparations are underway to submit another project in Kenya worth tens of millions of euros, but it is still too early to specify the nature of this project. Slovakia can leverage its experience in Kenya, as this country has been a priority from the perspective of Slovak development diplomacy. “Also because we have good contacts with government representatives there, and because we have an embassy there, we managed to convince Kenyan partners to be interested in the Slovak project. Hopefully, it will be realized,” Chovanec said.
He claims that the advantage of EU development aid is that it allows companies to more easily access the markets of developing countries that lack sufficient funding. The EU, through export banks like Eximbank, finances various projects. The investing company is not afraid of losing deposits, as the EU guarantees it, while the recipient country is glad to realize an investment that has secured financial coverage.
Slovakia wants to remain part of Team Europe; it is a way to access the markets of third countries. Chovanec welcomed that discussions are also underway about investment support of tens of millions of euros for smaller companies, which is good for Slovakia, which does not have many large companies capable of implementing projects abroad worth hundreds of millions of euros. “We will ask the European Commission to support projects in the units and tens of millions of euros, which would allow us to establish ourselves in these countries,” Chovanec said.
Proposal of the Slovak Republic for the EU to support clinical studies as strategic projects in healthcare
The head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen invited ten CEOs from EU countries, including the head of MultiplexDX, Slovak scientist Pavol Čekan, to the Global Gateway 2025 forum. He announced on Thursday via social media that he proposed the EU support clinical studies as strategic projects, where European pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies, hospitals, regulatory authorities, doctors, and scientists would come together.
“This way, we can bring innovative medical technologies and medicines to where it is most difficult and save lives,” stated Pavol Čekan. (October 9)
