German Federal President Christian Wulff paid an official visit to the Slovak Republic from 26 to 27 September 2011.

“The Slovak-German relations are indeed excellent,” the German guest said after bilateral talks. Wulff appreciated Slovakia’s approach to national minorities and highlighted Slovakia’s success story on its way to integration into the EU, NATO and the euro area. “Slovakia is a competitive country, as proved by a substantial number of German companies, approximately 450, established on the Slovak market, which have created some 90,000 new jobs altogether,” Wulff said. German businesses are very content with the business environment in Slovakia and plan on creating more jobs, as they consider the conditions for a further growth of business extremely good.

The talks between the Slovak and German President also focused on the issues related to the global economic crisis, state debts and problems concerning the EU’s future. “We both agreed that if all of us in the EU follow certain rules, the problems can be tackled,” Christian Wulff said, warning, however, that the lack of solidarity among EU member countries may have consequence for the entire EU. The German President emphasised the importance of the euro currency for the Slovak economy with respect to investors, noting that “Slovakia is an excellent destination for investments.” Wulff said so in relation with the necessity to ensure the stability of the single European currency in the time of the financial and economic crisis. “Germany will do everything to support the stabilisation of the euro and to demonstrate our solidarity,” the German President added.

In his speech, Ivan Gašparovič said that “the presence of the Federal President in Slovakia is of a great significance to us.” These words came in the context of the serious problems faced by the EU, the problems concerning the approval of the European Financial Stability Facility, where Germany’s position is considered extremely important. The two top officials agreed that the EU needed to remain a strong community, backed up by the single European currency. “To that end, in my capacity as the president, I also want to do everything to ensure that Slovakia will not hinder this process and to make Slovakia realise that Slovakia and Germany are going along the same path in the EU,” President Gašparovič noted. The Slovak President stressed the strategic importance this shared path held for economic, public and political sectors.

In connection with the EU problems he added that Slovakia had already introduced quite a number of controversial issues to the EU-wide discussion on the future of the euro. Therefore, he stressed it was “high time to take a responsible approach. Slovakia must not be a hindrance to the euro stabilisation process and to resolving the crisis inside the EU.”
Ivan Gašparovič appealed to the leading Slovak political representatives, reminding them that he was prepared to present what Europe needed.“I am willing to meet with the political parties prior to the parliamentary vote; I do not even rule out the possibility of delivering a speech before the National Council of the Slovak Republic,” the President said.
The two Presidents also touched upon the issues concerning the future of the nuclear energy industry, as well as further developments in Ukraine and Eastern Africa.

As part of the German President’s official visit, Christian Wulff and Ivan Gašparovič also visited the eastern Slovak city of Kežmarok, a city closely associated with the presence of the Carpathian Germans in Slovakia, where the two Presidents were awarded the honorary citizenship of the city by the Mayor of Kežmarok.