During a business mission to Istanbul in September, 15 Slovak companies met with approximately 100 Turkish firms. But these numbers represented more than just formal negotiations—during the individual meetings, participants discussed specific opportunities for cooperation in mechanical engineering, logistics, the chemical industry, medical technology, and IT.
The Slovak delegation also included Dušan Drozda from Eximbanka, who held a series of meetings with Turkish businesspeople and partners. The discussions focused primarily on opportunities for Slovak companies to participate in trade and investment projects, as well as on practical issues related to financing and the development of trade between the two countries.
The business mission was organized by the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Trnava Regional Chamber, in cooperation with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (represented by Executive Board member Giyasettin Eyyüpkoc and representatives of the International Relations Department), the Honorary Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Istanbul (represented by Honorary Consul Alexander Sako), and other partners. Also in attendance were Tomáš Barilík, the Slovak Republic’s economic diplomat in Istanbul; Miloslav Skovajsa from the Turkish-Slovak Business Community; and Peter Kovář from the Trnava Regional Chamber of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK).
However, the most important outcome of the mission was the business-to-business negotiations themselves. It was during these negotiations that it became clear that the Turkish partners’ interest in Slovak technologies, products, and know-how is very concrete.