Gov. Eric Holcomb’s latest overseas trip is a mix of countries with economic ties and military partnerships.
Holcomb is visiting Slovakia for the third time as governor and Italy for the second time.
The Slovakia visit includes Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, the head of the Indiana National Guard. It marks three decades of a partnership between the Guard and Slovakia that includes joint military training.
That leg of the trip is focused on defense issues, which differs from Holcomb’s usual trade missions. Still, he said economic security and national security go hand-in-hand.
“That leads to discussions down the road, like at the Global Economic Summit, where we hosted Slovakian members of the military,” Holcomb said.
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The Italy portion of the trip is a more traditional trade mission, with a focus on the motorsports industry.
While Holcomb’s trip is largely paid for by private donations, the Slovakian travel costs are paid for by the Indiana National Guard.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.