NEWS

Join Friends of Slovakia (FOS) at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a momentous Economic Summit on Thursday and Friday, May 2-3, 2024. This unique forum, co-organized by the FOS, will bring together delegations from the USA, Czech Republic, and Slovakia to discuss the consequences of modern […]

We are thrilled to welcome Grigorij “Grisha” Mesežnikov, who was elected as a new member of the FOS Board at the 2024 FOS Annual Board Meeting on February 23rd. As the President of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) in Bratislava, Slovakia, and a prominent political scientist, Grisha brings unparalleled expertise in understanding political systems […]

Rasťo Kužel, Executive Director of Memo 98, delivered the 2023 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 17, 2023 at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kužel discussed importance of free and fair elections for democracy in light of the recent outcomes in Slovakia and Poland and ahead of the US races in 2024.

The Friends of Slovakia is thrilled to announce the selection of its new slate of officers following the successful conclusion of the 2023 Annual Meeting held on February 13th. This election marks a significant moment in FOS history as Martina Hrvolová becomes the first female chairwoman of the organization. Martina Hrvolová, a Senior Advisor at […]

Miloslav Stašek, current Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, delivered the 2022 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 15, 2022 at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, DC. Ambassador Stašek discussed the current conflict in Ukraine and its devastating impact on peace and stability in Europe and beyond.

Friends of Slovakia mourns the passing of former Secretary of State Madeleine Korbelová Albright. Proud immigrant, trailblazing diplomat, distinguished educator, and tireless advocate for democracy and the rule of law. Rest in Peace! Read Madeline Albright’s Obituary published by the Washington Post on March 23, 2022.

Dr. Tomáš Cihlář, an internationally recognized Czech biochemist, delivered the Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 18, 2020. His lecture was entitled “The Role of Czech and International Scientists in the Fight Against the Pandemic” and focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and global efforts to combat it.

November 2019 marked the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent events that brought freedom from communist domination to many countries of the former “Soviet-bloc.”  In Czechoslovakia, public demonstrations, spearheaded by student movements, sparked the relatively peaceful downfall of the communist government and began the country’s “return to the West,” […]

FOS Board members and others in the Washington foreign policy and Slovak-interest communities participated in a roundtable featuring former Slovak Ambassador Martin Bútora and his spouse, sociologist Dr. Zora Bútorová.  The ambassadorial couple served in Washington, DC from 1999-2003 and had a significant impact on Slovak-U.S. relations, as well as opening Slovakia’s new embassy building […]

The German Marshall Fund organized a roundtable discussion on September 21, 2018, in Washington, DC, titled “Trends in Central Europe: Addressing Liberal Democracy.” The former Slovak Ambassador to the U.S., Rastislav Káčer, who served from 2003-2008, was the main speaker at the event. Currently, Amb. Káčer is the Chairman of GLOBSEC, a non-governmental organization that […]