BRATISLAVA, May 17, (WEBNOVINY) — U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick and Slovak Economy Minister Juraj Miskov (SaS) met on Tuesday to debate the mood of U.S, investors in Slovakia. According to Sedgwick, U.S. companies in Slovakia are satisfied with quality of the business environment in Slovakia that continues to improve. “We would be happy to see many more U.S. firms in Slovakia. We are convinced that your country has potential for further investments,” he told the Slovak minister.
Miskov announced that the bilateral cooperation continues to develop and that Slovakia would gladly welcome more investors from the United States. Slovakia is primarily interested in fields were its activities have been excellent so far. Miskov mentioned among such sectors the automotive and electrotechnical industry, electronics, IT, energy and services.
Presently, there are over 120 U.S. companies operate in Slovakia and approximately a quarter of them are large investors. U.S. Steel, IBM International Services Center, Microsoft, Johnson Controls R&D Center and AT&T are some of the most successful projects. The overall value of direct foreign investments from the United States reached EUR 623 million as of late 2009.
In 2008-2009 mutual trade between the two countries shrank by 35 percent and Miskov ascribes this downturn particularly to sinking Slovak exports to the United States. Last year, the collaboration improved, and Slovakia’s exports jumped 58 percent, thanks to cars whose exports skyrocketed by 63 percent.
SITA