During his first visit to eastern Slovakia, U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Gautam Rana held talks with Košice Mayor Jaroslav Polacek, representatives of NGOs, non-profit organizations, business companies, the Constitutional Court, and attended an English class in the American Center in the Košice Library. During the talks, Ambassador Rana reaffirmed his priorities – to continue to strengthen mutual relations and to listen to the views of Slovaks on current events.
“Innovation drives our society, helps ensure a better life for future generations, and provides solutions to many of the pressing challenges we face today. I had the opportunity to meet some of the best and brightest Slovak innovators and learn about their cutting-edge products and services in areas such as clean energy, artificial intelligence, business management and smart cities. I was impressed by the creative and innovative potential that Košice and the region offer, and I was particularly pleased to see how much of a role American partners, know-how or financial capital play in supporting and developing local innovation,” said Ambassador Rana.
The Ambassador also met with representatives of NGOs and non-profit organizations working on the rights of the Roma community, LGBTQI+ people and refugees. At the meeting with NGO representatives, he emphasized that civil society is a cornerstone of democracy and assured them of U.S. support for civil society in Slovakia. During his two-day program, Ambassador Rana also visited an English class for Ukrainian refugees at the American Center in the Kosice Library.
During his trip, the Ambassador held talks with the Mayor of Košice, Jaroslav Polacek, who thanked him for the warm welcome given to US First Lady Jill Biden during her visit to Slovakia in May. He and the President of the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Fiačan, discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the representatives of the judiciary. Finally, Ambassador Rana visited U.S Steel Košice, the most important employer in the region and one of the largest in Slovakia.
