Ottawa, Canada – Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová kicked off her state visit to Canada on Tuesday, calling for a shift towards a greener and more sustainable future and highlighting the importance of private sector involvement in achieving this goal.
“We need to make a shift to a greener and more sustainable development and that can’t be done without the involvement, innovation and leadership from the private sector in areas such as AI, biotech, renewables, energy and clean tech,” Čaputová said at the #Slovakia-#Canada Business Forum, the first bilateral business meeting between the two countries in over two decades.
Nearly 100 companies and entrepreneurs from both nations participated in the forum, underscoring the growing economic ties between Slovakia and Canada. Čaputová emphasized the need for collaboration on green technologies and renewables to combat climate change and build a sustainable future.
President @ZuzanaCaputova: Here’s to the partnership between our countries. To the friendships between our peoples. And to our commitment to building a better future together – for Canadians, for Slovaks, and for people around the world. Thank you for the great meeting yesterday. https://t.co/h0PFN456Em
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 31, 2024Her visit also included a productive meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where they reaffirmed the strong political, economic, and security ties between the two NATO allies. “Our partnership is built on shared values of democracy and the rule of law,” Čaputová said. “We agreed to work on further deepening our trade ties with a focus on green technologies and renewables to advance a climate-neutral and sustainable future.”
Great to open the #Slovakia–#Canada Business Forum at #Ontario Investment & Trade Centre. Almost 100 companies and entrepreneurs from both countries have joined for this first bilateral business meeting in more than 20 years.
We need to make a shift to a greener and more… pic.twitter.com/Wt8GRG5LPO
— Zuzana Čaputová (@ZuzanaCaputova) January 31, 2024Beyond official meetings, Čaputová’s visit included a warm welcome from the Slovak community in Canada, with streets in Ottawa adorned with hundreds of Slovak flags. She also met with Justice Andromache Karakatsanis, who welcomed the Slovak delegation on behalf of Governor General Mary Simon, who is recovering from illness.
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová, as part of the President's State Visit to Canada. Read a summary of their meeting: https://t.co/GmNjklFy3O pic.twitter.com/5deIKVtoio
— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) January 30, 2024