NEWS

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 […]