Martin Klus: “With the preparations for the EXPO Dubai we help top Slovak innovators to establish contacts in the United Arab Emirates”

'The preparations for the World Exhibition EXPO Dubai, where Slovakia wants to make itself attractive as a modern and interesting country for investment as well, are already in full swing at the Slovak diplomacy ministry, under the team of my colleague, State Secretary Ingrid Brocková. This is also related to our activities in economic diplomacy, in the context of which we have an opportunity to introduce exceptional Slovak projects that will participate at the EXPO exhibition to our partners from the United Arab Emirates already in advance. After the previous contacts with this exceptionally inspiring country, I have used the opportunity this time and slightly opened the door for three specific projects that we can be proud of in Slovakia.

This was stated by State Secretary of the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry, Martin Klus, on Monday (22 March 2021) in Bratislava after the video conference with Under Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technologies of the United Arab Emirates, Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi.

In this regard, the State Secretary of the diplomacy ministry of the Slovak Republic (SR) introduced to his partners the concrete opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries in the pharmaceutical industry, the development of batteries and microchips and hydrogen technologies. Therefore, the online talks were also attended by representatives of the Slovak companies, AXON Neuroscience, the IPM Group, and the co-creator of the National Hydrogen Strategy, which had an opportunity to introduce their projects and proposals for potential cooperation in more detail.

'Slovakia is the only country in its region that has engaged in the development of vaccines against the corona virus, as well as an antibody treatment of the COVID-19 disease; this treatment can be used to treat already infected patients. In this area the successful Slovak biotechnological company, AXON Neuroscience, is active. It has developed a vaccine against Alzheimer's Disease, while dozens of its scientists are working on the vaccine and the medicine against COVID-19 infection,' said Klus.

According to the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, the IPM Group, a prominent Slovak company in innovation and infratech also has promising potential for the development of the cooperation between Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates. This company brings to the market many unique technological innovations in health care, green energies and the design of ecologically friendly chips.

'The United Arab Emirates has become an interesting example for Slovakia also due to its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Global Agenda. I'm proud that Slovak companies are also developing many investment strategies to achieve the goals of these Agendas,' stated the State Secretary Klus.

He also expressed his appreciation for the steps geared towards the use of green hydrogen as a clean energy source, an important contribution to energy diversification. The program of the use of hydrogen is an opportunity for Slovakia as well to offer its ideas and existing results in this area of the future.