Russia and Slovakia to revive economic commission for first time since 2021

Russia and Slovakia will hold their intergovernmental commission on trade, economic and scientific cooperation in Moscow on 26 October, TASS reported, marking the body's first meeting in nearly three years and signalling a tentative effort to restore structured bilateral dialogue.

The previous, 21st session of the commission took place in Bratislava in November 2021, before relations between Moscow and European capitals deteriorated sharply following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The 22nd meeting will be co-chaired by Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanar, according to a statement issued by the Russian government's press service.

The two sides are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation across a range of areas including trade, the economy, energy, culture and the humanitarian sphere, the statement said.

Slovakia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2024, has maintained a notably more cautious stance on Russia compared with most other EU member states under Prime Minister Robert Fico.