What were the main drivers of Slovakia’s approach towards Asia-Pacific in 2022? How were these relations impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Matej Šimalčík answers these questions in his contribution to Yearbook of Slovakia’s Foreign Policy.
Over the years, Slovakia’s engagement with the Asia–Pacific region has been shaped by a combination of international (structural) and domestic (political) factors. As highlighted in previous Yearbooks, Slovakia’s position in global value chains, along with the political preferences of various domestic stakeholders, have significantly influenced the geographical and thematic dimensions of its Asia–Pacific policy.
The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the political changes resulting from the February 2020 general election marked the beginning of a transition away from a traditionally pragmatic, economy-centric approach to East Asia, particularly China. This shift was aimed at striking a balance between economic interests, national security, democratic values and human rights. The new approach follows on from the growing realization that the geopolitical and geo-economic focal points were gradually shifting away from the transatlantic to the Indo -Pacific region.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Given that Slovakia is one of the countries in NATO’s and EU’s eastern flank that borders Ukraine, it was inevitable that Putin’s aggression would profoundly affect all dimensions of Slovak foreign and security policy. Slovakia’s interactions with the Asia–Pacific states have also been directly and indirectly influenced by these developments.
In general, two main trends have emerged in Slovakia’s relations with the Asia–Pacific region, both of which are connected to the repercussions of the Russian aggression:
- a redirection of Slovak diplomatic efforts toward Ukraine, resulting in less of a focus on the Asia–Pacific region;
- the emergence of new cooperation opportunities, particularly in the defense and humanitarian aid sectors.
Find out more in the chapter by Matej Šimalčík, published in the 2022 Yearbook of Slovakia’s Foreign Policy. You can also read the full 2022 Yearbook of Slovakia’s Foreign Policy on the website of Slovak Foreign Policy Association.
