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, together with The Embassy of the Slovak Republic to the United States, The Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, The American Friends of the Czech Republic, The Embassy of the Czech Republic to the United States, and The Transatlantic Democracy Working Group organized the […]

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.

Katarína Cséfalvayová  & Simon Panek delivered the 2019 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 13, 2019. This special double-lecture event lecture was entitled “30 Years of Czech and Slovak Freedom,” commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which saw the return of freedom and democracy to both countries on November 17, 1989. Katarína […]

At the FOS Annual Meeting on February 15th, 2019 election for the Board of Directors was held and the slate of Officers and Executive Committee were appointed. FOS saw transitions, with three new members added and three members, in addition to Amb. Russell and Mr. Senko, departing. The new members welcomed to the Board are […]

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák has selected Friends of Slovakia (FOS) Founding Chairman, Amb. Theodore Russell, and  Board Chairman, Joseph Senko to receive the prestigious Golden Medal of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.  The medals were presented to the two recipients on February 15, 2019 by Slovak Ambassador Ivan […]

Mikuláš Dzurinda, former Slovak Prime Minister (1998-2006) delivered the 2018 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 16, 2018. This lecture was entitled “Miracles in the Heart of Europe,” celebrating the governmental reforms that enabled Slovakia to enter NATO and the European Union in 2004. 

Former Economic Advisor to President Havel, 2008 candidate for President of the Czech Republic, and Professor of Global Political Economy at Columbia University Jan Svejnar gave the 2017 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture at the Wilson Center on November 7. Friends of Slovakia co-sponsored the lecture with The American Friends of the Czech Republic and […]