Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Uzbekistan is of great interest to Slovak companies, especially in the defense industry. He told Monday at the Uzbek-Slovak business forum held in Tashkent.

“We devoted a significant part of our conversation with Mr. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the military-industrial complex,” he said. “We both agree that if defense spending grows, it should not be at the expense of other sectors and should not be accompanied by the purchase of weapons only in the United States or Israel. Our goal is to manufacture as much as possible at home.”

According to Robert Fico, the Slovak firms showcased its own defense production to the President and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, which, as he noted, “is becoming increasingly successful.”

"Let me remind you that in 2024, Slovakia's defense industry contributed more than 1.1 billion euros to the GDP, and in 2025, we expect it to reach 1.5 billion euros," he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Slovakia sought launching joint projects in this sector.

"If we were to implement joint projects, such as the ammunition manufacture lines we discussed with the President Mirziyoyev, or the modernization of T-type tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, the volumes could be even higher. We would invest in our own production and joint ventures," he noted.

According to Robert Fico, Uzbekistan has significant military potential, including equipment of Soviet and Russian manufacture.

"And given that Uzbekistan has a really large army, mostly equipped with weapons of Russian or Soviet origin, the opportunities for Slovak companies here are enormous - even more than we could have imagined," the Prime Minister said.

In November last year, a military delegation from the Slovak Republic visited Uzbekistan.

Slovakia's military industry  

Slovakia has doubled its arms and ammunition exports in 2024 to more than 1.2 billion euros, becoming one of the largest arms exporters in Europe in terms of share of gross domestic product. According to Marek Gabrys, chief economist at ČSOB bank, the country reached a record volume of arms exports last year. In Slovakia’s economy of 130 billion euros (and a population of 5.5 million), arms and ammunition exports account for 0.9% of GDP, Bloomberg writes.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Slovak ammunition manufacturers have received record orders, despite Prime Minister Robert Fico ruling out any military support for Ukraine from the Slovak authorities.

Defense Minister Robert Kalinák expressed satisfaction with the results: “I am glad that my modest expectations for increased production have been met. "This is great because it creates jobs and wages," he told reporters in Bratislava on Wednesday.

With a production capacity of more than 120,000 shells per year, Slovakia is one of the largest producers of large-caliber ammunition in Europe. The production is carried out by two companies belonging to the Czechoslovak Group, headed by billionaire Michal Strnad.

In addition to ammunition, Slovakia has factories that manufacture howitzers and other military equipment.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Robert Fico signed a joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Slovakia and Uzbekistan.

As previously reported, the countries agreed to increase trade and launch large joint projects in the agricultural sector, localization of auto components, tourism and pharmaceuticals. The parties will work on creating a joint venture fund for IT startups and establishing organized migration.

The Slovak PM said that the countries plan to increase trade turnover to 100 million euros. He listed the projects being implemented in Uzbekistan - modernization of meteorological systems at airports, intelligent solutions in transport, production of ferroalloys in Angren and others.

Uzbekistan has put forward an initiative to create joint projects with Slovakia for the production of components for cars - lighting systems, rubber products, sensors, brake systems, - said Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov. Projects in the fields of IT, tourism, energy and others were also discussed.