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Slovak Republic - US Relations

Slovak-American ties date back to the end of the 19th century, when thousands emigrated to the coal mines and steel mills of the industrial Northeast. As a result, many Slovaks have American relatives, albeit distant, and the U.S. is still viewed as the beacon of hope that never dimmed during the Communist era. Slovak views are reflexively transatlantic.

The fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the subsequent split of the two republics on January 1, 1993, allowed for renewed cooperation between the United States and Slovakia. The election of a pro-Western, reformist government in late 1998 further boosted close ties between the countries. The United States delivered more than $200 million in official direct assistance after 1990 to support the rebuilding of a healthy democracy and market economy in Slovakia, primarily through programs administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Slovakia and the United States retain strong diplomatic ties and cooperate in the military and law enforcement areas. The U.S. Department of Defense programs have contributed significantly to Slovak military reforms.

President Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a major role in the establishment of the original Czechoslovak state on October 28, 1918, and President Wilson's Fourteen Points were the basis for the union of the Czechs and Slovaks. Tomas Masaryk, the father of the Czechoslovak state and its first president, visited the United States during World War I and used the U.S. Constitution as a model for the first Czechoslovak Constitution.

Reforms made Slovakia an economic success story and captured the attention of policymakers and businesspeople around the world. Cumulative foreign direct investment has quintupled in the five years 2000-2005 and American companies are the third largest investors. U.S. Steel's Kosice operation is the largest economic force in Slovakia and the well-regarded company won the Department of State's 2003 Award for Corporate Excellence. The U.S. has a disproportionately large and positive presence in economically depressed eastern Slovakia. As the standard of living increases (Bratislava is above the EU average, though the rest of the country lags well behind), there will be a bigger market for U.S. trade as well. Very strong economic ties will help balance EU influence and provide a sturdy framework for our overall relationship for many years to come.

Slovak citizens generally view the U.S. favorably; they remember American support for freedom in Central Europe, and many Slovaks have family ties to the U.S. Nonetheless, public opinion does not keep pace with the government on issues like Iraq, where only 21 percent of the population favored the deployment of Slovak troops. However, public opposition has not been strongly voiced, and there were no large-scale anti-Iraq war demonstrations. By 2005 support for NATO membership had recovered to 58% after a low two years ago of 35%. Three-fourths of Slovak citizens are critical of the President's treatment of international politics. Compared to other Europeans, fewer Slovaks think their country should take an active part in world affairs.

The Slovak Republic has an embassy in the United States, located at 3523 International Court, NW, Washington, DC, 20008. Slovakia maintains a permanent mission to the United Nations in New York and consulates general in New York (since September 2003) and in Los Angeles (since April 2005). Slovakia has 11 honorary consulates; in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco.