The Slovak Republic celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday with a visit from President Zuzana Čaputová, who urged the global community to work together on transitioning to a greener economy while shining a spotlight on Slovakia’s state-of-the-art mobility innovations that will help achieve a sustainable, fairer society for all.
Her Excellency President Zuzana Čaputová was welcomed by Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.
President Čaputová said: “This world exposition is a testament of humankind’s creativity and ability to innovate. And it is also proof that when people, countries and cultures come together, they can achieve spectacular things. This gives me hope that we can, and we will, overcome the global challenges such as the pandemic and its social and economic impacts, or the climate crisis, if we work together.”
Her Excellency encouraged the audience to visit the Slovakia Pavilion in the Mobility District, where they can discover the country’s advances in aviation, space and unique hydrogen technologies. Among the special exhibits, the pavilion features a hydrogen-powered passenger car, utilising technology intended to revolutionise the passenger, freight and public transport sectors.
“These are far from being just fancy or futuristic items – what you will see is just a sample of projects developed by the Slovak businesses and innovators to help shape the world’s transition towards a greener, climate-neutral and fairer economy and societies. Because ultimately, this is what we need to become if we are to survive on this planet,” she said, adding: “I am delighted that Slovakia is part of the effort to advance innovations and creativity through this Expo.”
Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amirisaid: “Slovakia’s participation presents the future of mobility, demonstrating the country’s strong commitment to sustainable energy within the fields of hydrogen and aerospace technology, including its original hydrogen technologies and robotics, as well as its leadership in the automotive and energy sectors.
“Through Expo 2020 and beyond, we are keen to expand our relations with Slovakia and explore new horizons of cooperation between our nations. We hope to utilise this extraordinary global event to join one another and work towards our collective benefit and that of future generations to come.”
President Čaputová agreed: “I am glad that our bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates are already very good. We are ready to deepen them further, especially in the field of scientific cooperation and education, green technologies or tourism.”
Activities to mark the National Day included perfectly choreographed traditional song and dance showcasing Slovakia’s heritage and folklore, while the ‘Mirror Family’ – an energetic, futuristic dance show and visual spectacle – entertained visitors with performances across the site. Later, from 1830 GST, the Jubilee Stage will host a cultural performance that fuses the traditional and contemporary, and Slovakia is also holding a business briefing at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Business Connect Centre.
National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate each of Expo’s 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming.
Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 invites visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.
