Reevaluating U.S. Visa Regulations: Strengthening Central and Eastern European Relations
On February 11, 2005, a significant forum on visa issues in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) was organized on Capitol Hill by the East Europe Project at CSIS, together with Friends of Slovakia (FOS) and American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFoCR). The meeting aimed to address the impact of current U.S. visa regulations on political and public relations with the CEE countries. Forum panelists and experts shed light on the legal intricacies of the visa issue and its implications for U.S.-CEE relations, urging for a reconsideration of the status quo.
Pavol Demes’ New Book on US-Slovak Relations
The Friends of Slovakia and Ambassador Peter Kmec co-hosted a reception and book launch on November 15th for Pavol Demes’ latest book, which explores Slovak-American relations. The event was attended by a large audience, including many members of Friends of Slovakia and Wendy Luers, who played a significant role in strengthening Slovak civil society. Ambassador […]
Amb. Bútora Reflects on Slovakia’s First 20 Years
Martin Bútora, former Slovak ambassador to the United States, delivered the 13th Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 16, 2012. He was introduced by Wilson Center Executive Vice President and COO Michael Van Dusen. A capacity audience filled the Woodrow Wilson Center auditorium to hear his thoughts on “20 Years of Independence: Reflections […]
Introducing the 2014 Slovak Scholars
The Friends of Slovakia is pleased to introduce five scholars studying at the Fund for American Studies (TFAS) this summer. The scholars included Barbora Bodnárová (TFAS’s Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems), Katarína Mináriková (Institute on Business and Government Affairs), Adam Šebesta (Institute on Political Journalism), and Ivana Smoleňová and Alena Čierna (both […]
NEW FOS BOARD MEMBERS COME FROM SLOVAK-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Sabina Sabados Sabina Sabados comes from eastern Slovakia and immigrated to the United States in the late 1980s. She received her BA in Political Science from Drew University in May 2003 with minors in French and European Studies. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in the Drew International Seminar which was hosted in Paris and […]
“Veterans of WWII” Film Screened at the Embassy
Dusan Hudec showed and then commented on his brilliant film “Veterans of World War II” on May 14, 2015 at the Slovak Embassy in Washington, D.C. Friends of Slovakia supported the production of Mr. Hudec’s companion film, “The Final Mission”, shown at the Embassy last November. A photo exhibit drawn from “The Final Mission” picturing […]
Foreign Policy Presentation by Pavol Demeš
On November 13, 2017, Pavol Demeš, a renowned Slovak expert on international relations and civil society, gave a talk titled “Slovakia and the United States: The Ties that Bind” at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Washington D.C. The event was co-sponsored by Friends of Slovakia (FOS) and the Slovak Republic Embassy. The audience […]
Wreath-laying to honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, 1st President of Czechoslovakia
A wreath-laying ceremony was held on March 8 commemorating the 168th anniversary of the birth of the first President of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. Remarks were made by Czech Ambassador Hynek Kmonicek, Slovak Ambassador Peter Kmec, AFoCR President Tom Dine, and FOS Founding Chairman Ted Russell. Czech Embassy Cultural Attache Sarka Vamberova concluded the ceremony by […]
Ivan Korčok Named Slovak Foreign Minister
Ivan Korčok, recently the Slovak Ambassador to the U.S., has been appointed Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic in the cabinet of the new Slovak government led by Prime Minister Igor Matovič. The February 29 parliamentary elections saw the rise of Matovič’s OLaNO party, which was able to form a new governing coalition with three other parties. In the course of selecting positions in the cabinet, the SAS party headed by Richard Sulík, chose Amb. Korčok as Foreign Minister, even though he is not a member of SAS. He will serve as an independent member of the cabinet.
Celebrating Two Decades of Friends of Slovakia (2001 – 2021)
As we look back on our journey, we want to celebrate FOS’s achievements over the past 20 years. Let us seize new opportunities while fostering lasting memories and renewed enthusiasm to champion the partnership between the United States and Slovakia for decades to come. Related post & events: