WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava to discuss plans for deploying Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Slovakia, according to a company statement.

The meeting included Transport Minister Jozef Ráž and was organized through DiusAI, WeRide's local partner for the ELEVATE Slovakia initiative. Prime Minister Fico expressed support for autonomous driving initiatives and committed to working with the company on transportation and technology development.

WeRide plans to deploy its autonomous vehicle portfolio across multiple applications including mobility services, public transportation, logistics, and municipal sanitation. The first vehicles are scheduled to arrive in Slovakia this month, with testing beginning in Bratislava before expanding to Košice and the High Tatras region.

The company stated that selected models are expected to enter public commercial operations in 2026, subject to meeting Slovak and European Union regulatory requirements.

WeRide currently operates in five European countries. In Spain, the company partnered with Uber for a commercial robotaxi service launching later this year. In France, its autonomous buses have operated at Roland-Garros and achieved commercial operations in the Drôme region. The company's vehicles also operate in Switzerland, where it obtained the country's first driverless robotaxi passenger permit, and in Belgium, where autonomous buses provide commercial service in Leuven.

Chinese Ambassador to Slovakia Cai Ge met with WeRide and DiusAI representatives on the same day, expressing support for the collaboration.

The information is based on a WeRide press release statement.