NEWS

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 […]

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 […]

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.

FOS Board of Advisors member and Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, Dr. Pavol Demeš gave the Annual Thomas Kukucka Lecture at the University of Pittsburgh as a part of the  Slovak Studies Program.

This year, 2019, represents the 100th anniversary of the death of one of the most important figures in the history of Slovakia, Milan Rastislav Štefánik.  On May 4, the anniversary was commemorated with a talk by researcher Kevin J. McNamara of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, who discussed “Six Events that Made Milan Stefanik a […]

On May 4th, Ambassador Ted Russell (Ret.) spoke at the Slovak Embassy about his experiences as Deputy Chief of Mission in Czechoslovakia during and after the 1989 Velvet Revolution. He also spoke about his role as the first U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia after the 1993 Velvet Divorce. During his speech, he discussed the involvement of […]

Dr. Leff gave a talk on April 21 about the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968 and the impact of Czechoslovak institutional relations. She discussed the federalization that survived the Prague Spring and how it influenced events in 1989 and the Velvet Divorce. Dr. Leff also talked about the roles of Dubček, Husák, and Biľak in […]

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 […]

The annual transatlantic security conference organized by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) has become the leading event in Washington D.C. focused on issues in Central and Eastern Europe. The theme of this year’s CEPA Forum 2017 was “Preserving Atlanticism in a Time of Change,” and was held on September 21-22 in Washington, D.C. […]

Former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia and Friends of Slovakia Board of Advisors member Tod Sedgwick gave a fascinating luncheon presentation on “How Cleveland Played a Crucial Role in U.S. Diplomacy in Central Europe” on September 26, 2017. Ambassador Sedgwick gave a brief overview of the history of Slovak emigration to the U.S. He described why […]