FOS Meets with Minister of Defense

Minister of Defense Juraj Liska, former mayor of Trencin, visited the United States the week of 19 September for a counterpart visit with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Minister Liska's schedule included a whirlwind tour of US military facilities, followed by meetings at the National Security Council and the Departments of State and Defense.

On his first day in Washington, the Friends of Slovakia sponsored a dinner in his honor at the residence of the Slovak Ambassador. This dinner provided members of the FOS and the US defense industry the opportunity to meet with Minister Liska in a social atmosphere for open discussions on Slovakia's military restructuring and plans for the future. Among the attendees were Scott Salmon, US Steel; Jed Holzapel, ATK; and John Miller, Raytheon; plus Ambassador Ted Russell and Bill Tucker from FOS; Ambassador Kacer and Defense Attaché Radic Peca; and, members of the Minister's staff. Defense industry representatives commented afterward that the dinner meeting was enjoyable and informative and all look forward to similar opportunities in the future.

FOS Annual Wall Of Honor Ceremony

On September 23, the Friends of Slovakia held their fourth annual plaque dedication ceremony at the Wall of Honor located alongside the Embassy's beautiful back patio. As of 2004, there are a total of 72 individual plaques and four group plaques representing the major donors for FOS over the past four years. The funds raised through these permanent bronze plaques help the Friends of Slovakia continue to achieve their goals - the promotion of political, economic and cultural relations between the United States and Slovakia.

Hundreds were on hand for this year's ceremony dedicating the following plaques: group plaque: The Dziak Family * Katherine Janoscak Roberts * Beverly Janoscak Kearney * Julian and Aliza Josephson * Monika, Peter, Lucia & Adam Kmec * Dr. Gregor & Theresa Lazarcik *Matis & Poruben * Dr. & Mrs. Zoltan G. Mesko * Col. (R) and Mrs. John R. Miller * Albin and Roza Mraz * Deborah and Dennis Muchmore * Milka Rechtoris * Julius A. Rudinsky Family * Anne Zvara Sarosy * Mr. Mrs. Jan & Joan Skrkon * Carrie Slease * Mgr. Kamila Strelka * Miriam Vypalova * Emil Wagner, Mount Airy Lodge * Dr. Patrick White * Žebak Family; and individual plaques: L.P. Hinterbuchner, M.D. & C. Hinterbuchner, M.D. * Raytheon * Thomas M. & Geraldine Hricik * Peter, Paul & Tatiana Krizova Lizon * Brooks & Olga Gallik McClure * Ambassador and Mrs. Ronald Weiser.

FOS Creates Georgetown Scholarship for Slovak Student

In 2004 the FOS Board of Directors agreed to start a Friends of Slovakia Scholarship to assist a deserving Slovak student who wishes to attend one of the summer Institutes of the Fund for American Studies (TFAS). Ondrej Socuvka was the first recipient of the FOS Scholarship Fund.

FOS support will enable us to choose a particularly deserving Slovak student each year whose studies will develop a better understanding of how our democracy functions and encourage them to pursue a career that will help strengthen Slovak democracy and US-Slovak ties of friendship.

In future years, one deserving Slovak student who has applied and been accepted by TFAS to attend one of its three summer Institutes at Georgetown University will be selected by FOS to receive a partial scholarship from FOS to assist them in attending the program.

Since its founding, TFAS has educated more than 7,500 students from 700 colleges and universities in all 50 states and 85 foreign countries. In addition to the three summer Institutes at Georgetown University, TFAS sponsors International Institutes in Prague, Hong Kong and Greece. The three TFAS institutes at Georgetown University are as follows:

1. Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems This Institute is intended primarily for students interested in careers in government, international affairs, public policy, and academia.

2. Institute on Political Journalism The Institute selects many of the best undergraduate journalism students in the country to attend this Institute each summer, where they attend classes in economics and ethics and serve in internships in major news organizations. Participants also attend weekly lectures at the National Press Club and attend regular briefings at principal news sites such as Congress, the State Department, and the Federal Reserve Board.

3. Bryce Harlow Institute on Business and Government Affairs Through academic study, internships in corporate governmental affairs offices and trade associations, and in panel discussions with leaders in the profession, students gain an appreciation for the essential interplay between business and government in the U.S.

More information on the Fund for American Studies can be found at www.tfas.org.

FOS sponsorship of this scholarship program depends entirely on the support of our membership. We believe it is a particularly worthy effort. Donations to the FOS Scholarship Fund can be sent to:

Friends of Slovakia
c/o Scholarship Fund
PMB 220
4401-A Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20008-2322

FOS Hosts Scholarship Fundraising Dinner

On Thursday, August 12, 2004 the Friends of Slovakia hosted a fundraising dinner at the residence of Slovak Ambassador Rastislav Kacer. Proceeds from the dinner will go to the annual FOS Scholarship Fund which FOS introduced earlier this year. The dinner was attended by a number of generous FOS contributors including Mr. and Mrs. Juraj Slavik, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Elias, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks McClure, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lysy and Mr. Frank Bombara of the Slovak American Society of Washington, DC. Mr. and Mrs. Scott Salmon from U.S. Steel and Mr. and Mrs. John R. Miller from Raytheon also attended. Ambassador Rastislav Kacer, Bill Tucker and Joe Senko were the FOS board members in attendance.

Also present was Ondrej Socuvka, a young and talented Slovak student and the recipient of FOS's first partial scholarship earlier this year. Ondrej received a Masters in Corporate Finance at the University of Economics in Slovakia, as well as a Minor in International Relations at the University of Sacro Cuore in Italy, and came to Washington, DC to attend one of the Fund for American Studies' summer institutes at Georgetown University. The institute consists of classes in the morning, followed by afternoon internships. Ondrej interned at McGuireWoods, an international law and government affairs consulting firm. After successfully completing the Fund for American Studies institute, Ondrej won an internship with U.S. Steel's government relations office for a few months prior to returning to Slovakia.

The funds raised at the dinner will assist FOS in sponsoring another talented Slovak student to attend one of the Funds for American Studies' institutes in the summer of 2005. FOS hopes to continue this program in future and welcomes support from friends of Slovakia to make this possible.

FOS Creates Library of Contemporary Slovak Literature

FOS have created a Friends of Slovakia Library housed at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic. The Friends of Slovakia Library will be primarily dedicated to Slovak contemporary literature, with each year's collection devoted to the work of a different Slovak publishing house. Materials in the Library will be available both via a lending program as well as for review at the Embassy.

The inaugural collection of 100 books, including a wide range of monographs, literature, and biography, is from the publishing house L.C.A.Literárna a kultúrna agentúra. The books, listed below, will be lent from the Embassy for a discrete amount of time (for example, one month), and can also be viewed during business hours at the Embassy. The Embassy's cultural attaché, currently Stella Kukuchova, will be the primary contact for the Friends of Slovakia Library lending program. She can be reached at stella@slovakembassy-us.org, 202 237-1054, ext. 240.

The unveiling of the Library took place on Thursday, June 17, 2004 with two related events. First, the European Division of the Library of Congress, the Friends of Slovakia and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic hosted an academic discussion entitled "Publishing in Slovakia: Challenges for Today" by Koloman Kertesz Bagala, publisher of this year's contribution to the Library. The seminar was held at the Library of Congress. That evening, the Friends of Slovakia and the Slovak Embassy hosted a reception with Mr. Bagala complete with an unveiling ceremony of this year's contributions at the Slovak Embassy.

FOS considers the Library to be an important development for Friends of Slovakia. The Library will be a repository of contemporary Slovak literature and ideas and thus help expand American understanding of current Slovak culture. The Library is an essential, tangible product in developing a lasting impact on U.S.-Slovak relations, and FOS considers it an appropriate outgrowth of the programs and seminars Friends of Slovakia has hosted over the past several years in the area of political development, economic ties, and cultural affairs.

The Friends of Slovakia and the Slovak Embassy intend to develop the Library through annual inductions and seminars on contemporary Slovak literature.

Meet our new Board of Directors Members

John Miller

John Miller, first US Defense Attaché accredited to the Republic of Slovakia, is currently Director, International Business Development for Southern and Central Europe for Raytheon, the global defense and commercial electronics company. A native Virginian, he spent 31 years with the United States Army, serving nearly 15 years in Europe. He commanded up through brigade level, served in posts throughout the United States and is a graduate of the Austrian Landesverteidigungsakademie, the United States Army's Command and General Staff College, and the Army's War College.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Miller also holds two masters degrees and five awards of the Legion of Merit. His current position ensures continued contact with Central Europe and Slovakia which he visited for the first time in 1982. He and his wife, Brenda, make their home in Annandale, Virginia, and both consider themselves "Friends of Slovakia".

Scott Salmon

Scott Salmon is a Washington-based Director of Government Affairs for U.S. Steel Corporation. His responsibilities include, among other things, representing the interests of U.S. Steel Kosice before the U.S. Congress and various Government Agencies. He is a frequent visitor to Slovakia and his company's other European operations and hopes to someday have the opportunity to live and work in Slovakia.

Scott entered the private sector when he joined U.S. Steel (formerly USX Corporation) in 1993. Prior to this, his career in public service included an appointment to the White House staff (1990-1993), working on Capitol Hill as a congressional committee staffer (1988-1990), and serving as an economist and intelligence analyst at the Defense Department (1984-1988).

Scott and his wife Stephanie reside in Arlington, Virginia with their three children (Andrew 16, Kristin 13, and Kevin 7).

Meet our New Board of Advisors Members

JUDr. Katarina Mathernova, LL.M.

Katarina Mathernova has had a distinguished career in Slovakia as Chief Institutional and Policy Advisor to the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and then in Washington as a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank. Mathernova has recently moved to Brussels, where she will serve as Director in DG Regional Policy, responsible for the EU structural funds.

Mathernova holds a Juris Doctor degree from Comenius University, a Master of Law degree from the University of Michigan, is a member of the New York Bar and speaks eight languages. Prior to her work with the Slovak government, she was in private practice in the United States. In 2000, she was chosen Slovakia Woman of the Year by the main English language weekly published in Slovakia and also won the Pro Bono Human Rights award in 1993 from the International Human Rights Law Group. She is a member of several other distinguished Boards and the author of numerous publications on Slovak and Czech economic and legal affairs.

Juraj Ludevit Jan Slavik

Juraj Slavik has served the United States in the US military, the Department of Commerce's European Division and then became involved in the US Government's Cultural Exchange Program in 1961, first as Program Officer in the Governmental Affairs Institute, which then in 1975 became the very successful International Visitor's Program at Meridian House International in Washington, D.C. He was elected National Program Officer of the Year National Council for International Visitors He holds college degrees from Dartmouth College and the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Slavik is a member of a number of organizations promoting ties of friendship between the United States, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. These include the Czechoslovak National Council of America (CNCA), where he serves as its Washington Representative and Treasurer of its Washington Chapter, served as Vice-President of the Society of Arts and Sciences, and represents the CNCA in the Central and East European Coalition and the Stanton Coalition. He is a Founding Member of Sokol Washington.

Friends of Slovakia Co-Sponsor Lecture by Timothy Garton Ash

Together with Ambassador Rastislav Kacer and Ambassador Martin Palous, the Woodrow Wilson Center and the American Friends of the Czech Republic (AFoCR), FOS sponsored the Fifth Annual Wilson Center - Czech and Slovak Lecture Series: The Czech and Slovak Legacy in the Struggle for Freedom on November 11 at the Slovak Embassy. The keynote address on What Velvet Revolutions Now? was given by Prof. Timothy Garton Ash, author of The Magic Lantern and numerous other publications.

In an elegant and illuminating lecture, Prof. Ash addressed the characteristics that made the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" a success in Czechoslovakia and other Central European Communist states. He discussed how non-violent civil disobedience, charismatic local leaders and pressure from the US and West Europe combined with other elements to produce democratic changes in Central Europe. He noted that these forces later resulted in comparable changes in South Africa and Serbia. In response to questions from the audience, Prof. Ash also noted the important role of Presidents Reagan and Gorbacev and the failure of nerve of the Communist regime in the face of massive dissent in making a peaceful revolution possible.

After the lecture, FOS Vice Chairman, Bill Tucker and outgoing AFoCR President Phil Kasik presented Prof. Ash with a certificate of appreciation and an honorarium. A number of members of the FOS Board of Advisors and Board of Directors attended, including Ambassador Julian Niemczyk, Ambassador Adrian Basora, Juraj Slavik, Peter Rafaeli, Prof. Sharon Wolchik and Ambassador Ted Russell. They were joined by a large crowd, including incoming AFoCR President Michael G. Rokos.