BADUNG, DEWATA.NEWS – The Slovak Republic officially opened its Honorary Consulate at Jimbaran Hub, Bali, on Monday (February 2, 2026), marking a step to strengthen bilateral relations between Slovakia and Indonesia, particularly in tourism and economic cooperation.
Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár said Bali was selected due to the growing interest of Slovak travelers in the island and the wider potential for economic collaboration. Speaking to reporters in Jimbaran, Badung, he noted that Bali has emerged as an increasingly popular destination for Slovak citizens.
“Bali has become a new destination for Slovak citizens to spend their holidays. That is why we decided to open the consulate here. At the same time, we want to strengthen economic cooperation,” Blanár said.
Beyond tourism promotion, the honorary consulate is expected to play an important role in providing support and protection for Slovak nationals visiting Indonesia. According to Blanár, nearly 4,000 Slovak tourists visit Bali each year, including both officially and unofficially recorded arrivals, with the number continuing to rise.
He also outlined several sectors where Slovakia sees strong potential for cooperation, including water management, energy, waste processing, and cybersecurity.
“We believe we can offer our expertise in areas such as wastewater treatment, water management, energy, cybersecurity, and many others. This cooperation is not only about Bali, but about Indonesia as a whole,” he said.
As a member of the European Union, Slovakia also positions itself as a potential gateway for Indonesia to expand trade and investment access to European markets.
“Slovakia can offer a very supportive business ecosystem for cooperation with Indonesia. We can serve as a bridge to the European Union, as Slovakia is part of the EU,” Blanár explained.
Meanwhile, Putu Agung Prianta, who has been appointed as Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic for Bali, said future cooperation would focus on cultural exchange, technology collaboration, and encouraging Slovak investment in Bali. “Our targets include cultural exchange, technology exchange, and bringing investment from Slovakia to Bali,” he said.
Putu Agung also expressed hope that the presence of the consulate would help increase the number of Slovak tourists visiting Bali. To support this goal, he said he is preparing strategies that include gaining deeper understanding of Slovak culture to ensure more effective cooperation.
“We are still studying this. Slovakia may have a different approach, so I plan to visit Slovakia more often to better understand the culture of our Slovak partners,” he added.