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Home / Archive / Newsletter - Winter 2002
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke to a full house at the Woodrow Wilson Center November 19 in the Czech and Slovak Lecture Series on “The Czech and Slovak Legacy in the Struggle for Freedom.” FOS Board member, Prof. Michael Novak, was the speaker last year in this series. Secretary Albright urged continued strong U.S. support for the emerging democracies in Central Europe. Friends of Slovakia Chairman, Jan Surotchak and American Friends of the Czech Republic President, Milton Cerny presented Secretary Albright with a plaque of appreciation. Secretary Albright then laid a bouquet at the bust of Alexander Dubcek at the Wilson Center, accompanied by Ambassador Martin Butora and Czech Ambassador, Martin Palous, Czech Senate Chairman, Petr Pithart, FOS Chairman, Jan Surotchak, FOS Founding Chairman, Amb. Ted Russell and AFoCR President, Milton Cerny.
That evening, AFoCR and FOS organized a gala “Unity” dinner for 150 people at the University Club. Many members of FOS from the Washington area attended. Wonderful Slovak and Czech specialties were served. Secretary Albright spoke of the importance of strong Slovak-Czech ties. Ambassadors Butora and Palous, Chairman Pithart and University Club President Douglas Spaulding also addressed the assembled guests. Jan Surotchak presented Secretary Albright with a Friends of Slovakia medal of honor for her support of Slovak democracy and strengthened U.S. – Slovak friendship.
Friends of Slovakia and the Slovak American Cultural Center in New York organized a reception for Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda on November 2, 2001 to benefit the survivors of the Police and Fireman who perished in the September 11 terrorist attack. Over 100 guests gathered to thank Dzurinda for expressing solidarity with New Yorkers and all Americans.
Sen. Charles Schumer, former US Ambassador to Slovakia Carl Spielvogel and his wife Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, and a representative of Mayor Giuliani attended the gala benefit, together with Amb. and Mrs. Martin Butora, Amb. Peter Tomka, S-ACC President Matt Culen and FOS Board members Amb Ted Russell, FOS Vice Chairman Bill Tucker and Amb. Henry Owen. Sen. Schumer, FOS Nat’l Sponsor Amb. Spielvogel and Mayor Giuliani (through his representative) were presented with the FOS Medal of Honor by FOS Chairman Jan Surotchak.
Prime Minister Dzurinda honored the family of Lt. Michael Warchola, who died in World Trade Center rescue efforts. Later he was received by Mayor Giuliani, Gov. Pataki and Sen. Clinton.
Dzurinda is the first prime minister to run in the NYC Marathon. He did Slovakia proud by running the marathon well ahead of 90% of the other runners.
As part of its mission to increase Slovak-American relations in all areas – geographic and substantive – the Friends of Slovakia Executive Committee dined with the Honorary Consuls of the Slovak Republic on November 18, 2001. The 10 Honorary Consuls, who are appointed by the Slovak Embassy to promote Slovakia in the consuls’ geographic areas, had gathered in Washington, D.C. for two days of meetings to update them on activities of the Slovak Embassy.
Friends of Slovakia Chairman Jan Surotchak gave an overview of the Friends of Slovakia’s mission. Ted Russell and Mary Ellen Callahan provided details about the Friends’ activities in political, economic and cultural affairs, prompting a dialogue between the consuls and Friends on potential areas of cooperation and synergy. Perhaps the most valuable contribution to the meeting was made by Friends of Slovakia Treasurer (and Honorary Consul for Western Pennsylvania) Joe Senko, who understood both the goals of the Friends of Slovakia, and the needs of the honorary consuls.
Friends of Slovakia and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington sponsored a well-attended Roundtable December 11 at CSIS on “Slovakia’s Progress and Outlook for NATO and EU Membership.” Ambassador Butora presented upbeat highlights of recent Slovak progress on reforms and towards membership in NATO and the EU. Former Senator William Roth, Chairman of the US-EU-Slovakia Action Commission and Commission Director George Handy presented progress reports on Commission activities, particularly in attracting US investment to Slovakia via reforms in business conditions and in the areas of banking and capital formation. State Department Slovakia Desk Officer, Darcy Zotter gave a précis of US policies supporting Slovakia. Action Commission Commissioner, Amb. Ted Russell informed the group on FOS activities, including the benefit reception organized for Prime Minister Dzurinda in New York November 2, and urged their support. Janusz Bugajski, head of the CSIS Eastern European Project, which produced the recent monograph on “Slovakia’s Security and Foreign Policy Strategy” in cooperation with the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, also took part in the Roundtable. Former US Ambassador to Slovakia and FOS National Sponsor, Carl Spielvogel, participated in the entire discussion via telephone hookup from New York
The event was one of a series of successful programs organized by FOS and CSIS. FOS hopes to expand this sort of cooperation with distinguished think tanks like CSIS, Slovak-American groups and other NGOs having a particular interest in Central Europe and Slovakia.
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