NEWS

Pavol Demeš had photos of buildings and areas directly connected to the saints’ lives. The place where they studied in Constantinople is still standing. There is a tiny church in western Slovakia that dates from the time they were working in that region. He also had many photos of places built to commemorate them, not […]

Michael Žantovský, a distinguished Czech politician, writer, and diplomat, delivered the 2013 Czech and Slovak Annual Freedom Lecture titled “The Uncertainty of Freedom, and the Freedom of Uncertainty” at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. on November 12.

On the occasion of the 1150th anniversary of the arrival of Sts. Cyril and Methodius to the Slavs of Great Moravia the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in cooperation with Friends of Slovakia organizes an exhibit on their lives and works and a photo lecture by Pavol Demeš. The opening of the exhibit will take […]

TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS – ONE DATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE ANNUAL FREEDOM LECTURE AND THE FIFTH ANNUAL SLOVAK-AMERICAN AWARDS DINNER. NOON at the Wilson Center, Reagan Building: Pavol Demeš, former Minister of International Relations and foreign policy advisor to the first Slovak President will focus on the Velvet […]

John Palka, scion of one of the most distinguished families in the history of Slovakia, has written a masterful account of Slovakia’s history. The Hodža and Palka families played a significant role in Slovakia’s history. John Palka’s mother was the daughter of Milan Hodža, the last prime minister of interwar Czechoslovakia. Mr. Palka attended the […]

Martin Bútora, who served as the Slovak ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2003 and was one of the key figures behind the Freedom Lecture Series, delivered the 2012 Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 16. A capacity crowd filled the Woodrow Wilson Center auditorium to hear his reflections on “20 Years of Independence: Reflections on Freedom and Democracy.” Following the lecture, Joe Senko, the Chairman of Friends of Slovakia, and Ted Russell, the Founding Chairman Ambassador presented Ambassador Bútora with the FOS Medal of Honor. Tom Dine, the President of American Friends of the Czech Republic, then presented the speaker with a Certificate of Appreciation.

Slovakia has made significant progress in transitioning from being part of a socialist, pro-Soviet republic to an independent, democratic nation. However, there is still much hard work ahead, as highlighted in the 2010 Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture by Prime Minister Iveta Radičová.

In a statement released on January 20, 2010, President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Theodore Sedgwick as the new Ambassador to Slovakia. This announcement marks a significant step in furthering diplomatic relations between the United States and Slovakia. The nomination of Mr. Sedgwick was communicated to the public by Chase Beamer, the press attaché […]

Several FOS Board Members, Slovak and US dignitaries, and sports celebrities attended the Celebrity Tennis Tournament on June 9 at the Washington Golf & Country Club, including Slovak Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Mikloš, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Kukan, Ambassador Martin Bútora, and hockey stars Peter Bondra, Peter Šťastný and Miroslav […]