NEW DELHI: The country Narendra Modi flew into on Sunday is one of European Union’s more restless members — a Nato state whose prime minister has courted Vladimir Putin, balked at arming Ukraine and kept a wary eye on Washington’s tariffs. That Modi chose this moment to visit Slovakia, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so in 33 years, says as much about New Delhi’s reading of a fractured Europe as it does about Bratislava. By deepening ties with a member that is itself hedging between West and East, India gains a foothold in precisely the kind of EU economy others are approaching with caution.The welcome was effusive — a rendition of Vande Mataram by Lucnica Ensemble and a traditional bread-and-salt ceremony. On Monday, Modi held delegation-level and one-on-one talks with Slovak PM Robert Fico before calling on President Peter Pellegrini. The pivotal outcome was a decision to elevate the relationship to a comprehensive partnership — the clearest signal yet that both capitals see this as a long-term engagement.ALSO READ | India & Slovakia upgrade ties, seek reform of global bodies“This is indeed a very special moment for the India-Slovakia friendship,” Modi said, calling Fico “a true friend of India.” The rapport showed in lighter registers too: posting on Instagram, Modi noted that “PM Fico wore a jacket I had gifted him. And, coincidentally our jacket colours matched today!”The numbers explain the warmth. Two-way trade, which first crossed $1 billion in 2024, reached $1.8 billion last year, with Indian exports of roughly $1.52 billion dwarfing imports of $284 million. With the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) now finalised, officials see Slovakia as a convenient doorway to European manufacturing and supply chains. Modi said the FTA would “add momentum” to the partnership, with both sides expecting it to unlock trade, investment and jobs, “particularly for the youth”.Defence is where the script has flipped. A bilateral pact has been in place since 1995, but the traffic now runs both ways: Indian firms have signed up for the joint manufacture of artillery and armoured systems, and Slovak gunmaker Grand Power is setting up a subsidiary near Coimbatore — a buyer turning supplier. Industry ties already run deeper than headlines suggest; a Slovak-Indian venture opened India’s first private forged rail-wheel plant in Odisha last year.