NEWS

Friends of Slovakia expresses its full support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and for the freedom and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people. We strongly condemn Russia’s unjustified military invasion of Ukraine and support current and future actions by the United States, the European Union, and international institutions to hold Russia’s […]

“In our self-absorption over contemporary assaults on our freedom — political and medical — we in the United States seem to have entirely overlooked this seminal event which continues to shape our lives today. We should never forget the core lessons from that time — the importance of allies who share our values and the […]

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,” […]

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 had a significant impact on Eastern Europe’s political scene. In Czechoslovakia, the Communist regime was replaced by a democratic revolution, which was led by student movements and dissidents. November 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, a non-violent transition of power with demonstrations against the […]

Friends of Slovakia invited former Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda to present the 2018 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture at the Woodrow  Wilson  Center. The lecture was entitled “Miracles in the Heart of Europe.” The transcript of the former Prime Minister’s optimistic and visionary presentation is below. FOS hopes you will enjoy it as much […]

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 […]

On January 28, 2016, Friends of Slovakia co-sponsored the opening of an exhibition of unique photos commemorating the Holocaust entitled “Last Folio”. The opening event was held at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. in cooperation with the Embassy of Slovakia and the Embassy of Canada. The exhibit is open to the public until […]

Ambassador Peter Kmec and Friends of Slovakia co-sponsored a lecture on October 8 at the Slovak Embassy by Dr. Edward Toran of New York City. Dr. Toran is an expert on art history, architecture, and interior design and currently works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He came to the United States after the Soviet […]

Czech Ambassador to Great Britain Michael Žantovský will deliver the 2013 Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture. Amb. Žantovský was formerly Czech ambassador to the United States (1992-1997). The lecture will be hosted by the Wilson Center for International Scholars from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. An invitation will be forthcoming. The event is sponsored by […]