On December 13, Slovakia and other European Union nations voted to extend comprehensive sanctions against the Russian Federation. This decision reflects not only Russia’s failure to make progress on its commitments in Ukraine under the Minsk Agreements, but also its increasingly aggressive and illegal behavior against Ukraine. Russia’s unwarranted attacks against Ukrainian vessels in the ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 21 December, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling told approximately 250 high school students about how study abroad changed his life as he opened a “My American Story” panel discussion in the southern Slovak city of Levice on December 6. A panel of successful young former U.S. exchange students held a presentation about their experiences studying in the United States at ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 7 December, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Adam Sterling officially closed the Embassy’s 2018 “Courage to be Free” campaign marking the centennial anniversary of Czeschoslovakia and twenty-five years of Slovak independence with a keynote address to approximately 300 students, faculty, business leaders, and media figures in Kosice on November 29. Safarik University’s Department of British and American studies, which received an ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 30 November, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
As Slovakia marks the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy on November 17, we should pause to consider the ongoing relevance of the protests of 1989 and the Velvet Revolution. Ordinary Slovak and Czech students, later joined by their fellow citizens, courageously took to the streets to protest Soviet-backed authoritarianism and call for democracy ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 16 November, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On May 31, 1918, approximately two dozen Slovak and Czech patriots gathered at the Loyal Order of Moose building in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to sign the Pittsburgh Agreement, also called the “birth certificate” of the first Czechoslovak Republic. From that beginning, the people of the United States and the people of Slovakia have shared history, ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 16 October, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
In 1776, the founders of my country had the courage to declare their independence and commit to a national project grounded in democratic governance and liberty for all citizens. Over a century later, communities of Slovak and Czech immigrants in the United States had the courage to seek for their compatriots in Europe the blessings ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 4 September, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
I am always delighted to talk to Slovak citizens who have visited the United States and want to share their experiences with me. However, I know that making the long flight across the ocean simply is not possible for everyone. That is why, starting August 13, the U.S. Embassy will bring a little bit of ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 15 August, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On July 19, Ambassador Sterling led a diplomatic peloton, with participants from the U.S., European and Asian embassies as well as the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a twenty-five kilometer bicycle tour to commemorate Slovakia’s twenty-fifth anniversary as well as the 138th anniversary of the birth of Slovak hero M.R. Stefanik. Stefanik played a ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 24 July, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On July 14, the U.S. Embassy building in Bratislava will light up in the colors of the rainbow and a rainbow flag will hang prominently from the Embassy’s balcony. These are symbols of the United States’ firm commitment to the human rights of LGBTI people everywhere. The same day, I will join people from across ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 14 July, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
The late American Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” I was reminded of that quotation as I read the interview with Viacheslav Nikonov, Head of the Committee for Education and Science of the Russian Duma, in Hospodarske Noviny (June 13, 2018). Mr. Nikonov ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 22 June, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
One hundred years ago today, representatives of Czechs and Slovaks living in the United States came together in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed the “birth certificate” of the first Czechoslovak Republic. The document, primarily authored by T.G. Masaryk, is elegantly simple and clear in its intent: that the Slovaks and Czechs would endeavor to form an ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 31 May, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lajcak unveiled a bust of President Woodrow Wilson on the grounds of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on May 18. Wilson’s inclusion of self-determination for the peoples of the Austro-Hungarian Empire played a key role in the creation of the first independent, democratic Czechoslovakia. Minister of ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 23 May, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Adam Sterling laid a wreath together with Slovak president Andrej Kiska and other host country and foreign representatives at the Makov War Memorial on May 8 to commemorate the end of World War II. The Makov War Memorial, near the border with the Czech Republic, commemorates the actions of a Czechoslovak guerilla brigade and ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 9 May, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Jazz pianist, composer, and member of the American Jazz Hall of Fame Kenny Barron performed for approximately eighty music lovers, including MFA at Ambassador Sterling’s residence on April 23 in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month. Barron has a personal tie to this years, Jazz Appreciation Month honoree, having recorded under legendary producer and civil rights ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 24 April, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
The morning of February 26, 2018 shocked me as it did all of Slovakia. The brutal murder of a talented young journalist and his fiancée in their home provoked a combination of sadness, disbelief, and anger. If the killing of Jan Kuciak is related to his work, as Slovak investigators suggest, the murder is an ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 3 April, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling delivered opening remarks for the Pianos Americanos performance at the Slovak Academy of Performing Arts on March 24, noting the importance of the people-to-people connections between our countries. The annual event features two pianists playing simultaneously and focuses on the music of a different country or region each year. This year’s performance featured ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 29 March, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling traveled to Banska Bystrica, Poprad, Kezmarok and Stara Lubovna from February 28-March 2. In Banska Bystrica, he met with regional Governor Jan Lunter and discussed the governor’s agenda for the region following his recent election. The Ambassador also participated in a town hall with local community activists, students and business representatives, to discuss ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 13 March, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
It is one of the most iconic images of the Second World War. Six United States Marines, in the midst of heavy fighting on the small island of Iwo Jima, struggle to raise the American flag above Mt. Suribachi. Among the six men captured in the iconic photograph, and later permanently memorialized in bronze for ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 22 February, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On New Year’s Eve 1992, thousands of Slovaks gathered on SNP square in Bratislava, counting down the minutes to the start of 1993—and with it, the birth of the Slovak Republic. Alongside thousands of jubilant Slovaks stood an American named Paul Hacker, Consul General of the United States. As the celebrations continued into the early ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 3 January, 2018 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling delivered opening remarks at a discussion on “Education and Entrepreneurship” on December 1 during Slovakia’s annual Startup Awards event. The discussion, which was organized by the EuroPolicy NGO with funding from the Embassy, brought together representatives from government, academia and the private sector to examine the nexus between higher education and business in ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 4 December, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Together with our Slovak friends and partners, the U.S. Embassy marked one of the most meaniningful of Slovak public holidays on November 17: the day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy. This day reminds us of the heroic struggles of ordinary Slovak and Czech students against Nazi occupation in 1939, and the calls for freedom ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 22 November, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
As Slovakia prepares to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its independence next year, it will also be celebrating twenty-five years of a close diplomatic relationship with the United States as a friend, partner, and ally. The ties that bind the United States of America and Slovakia are strong, encompassing cooperation in the fields of international ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 22 November, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Twenty four-hour news broadcaster TA3 and state newswire TASR covered the Embassy’s third annual Summer Work and Travel (SWT) Thanksgiving dinner and photography contest, hosted by Ambassador Sterling at the Chief of Mission Residence (CMR). Approximately 25 finalists from the Embassy’s SWT photo contest as well as representatives from local SWT agencies came to the ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 21 November, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Ambassador Sterling visited Trnava, Slovakia’s 7th largest city (pop. 68,000), on October 12 to meet with the Mayor following his recent IVLP and to re-connect with our closer partners at Trnava University’s Faculty of Law. Trvana’s Mayor, Peter Brocka, returned to Slovakia on October 8 following a three-week IVLP in the U.S. on State and ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 13 October, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
As Slovakia approaches the 25th anniversary of its independence, it can count its decision to join NATO as an essential element of its impressive success, both until now and well into the future. Slovakia chose a future with NATO not long after gaining its independence primarily to secure the sovereignty and freedom that it had ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 13 October, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
August 29 marked the 73rd anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising which was launched from Banksa Bystrica in 1944 against Nazi troops and the wartime collaborationist government of Jozef Tiso. All media outlets heavily cover the attendance of President Andrej Kiska, Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Head of Parliament Andrej Danko at commemorative events in ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 29 August, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
This year’s Slovak International Air Fest (SIAF) took place at the Sliac airport on August 26 and 27 and was visited by approximately 150,000 people. Among the big draws included fly-bys of U.S. B-52 and B-1 strategic bombers, which in the past had only been on static display at the Slovak airshow. Other highlights were ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 26 August, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Support for human rights and democratic values has long been a top priority of the United States, in our own country and around the world. Respect for human rights is not only the right thing to do; it makes the world a safer place. As Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson recently said, “when all ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 16 August, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a threat to all countries that care about freedom, democracy, and human dignity. The liberation of Mosul on July 10th was a major step toward defeating ISIS and eliminating this global threat. The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS includes 72 members, including Slovakia, the United States, ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 24 July, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On my recent trip to the United States I met with people across the country, from New York to Pittsburgh to San Francisco, who care passionately about Slovakia. I met descendants of 19th century immigrants, Czechoslovaks who left in the 1960s, Slovaks recently arrived in Silicon Valley, and Americans long committed to strong partnerships with ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 14 June, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
We’re pleased to announce the
Ambassador’s new travel map ! Ambassador Sterling makes traveling around Slovakia to visit new regions and towns a high priority, and he has already managed to see over 30 towns and municipalities in the eight months he has lived in Slovakia. Now you can follow him on his new travel map, which shows where ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 6 June, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy
| Tags: Adam Sterling, travel
Ambassador Adam Sterling hosted a reception on April 20 to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and introduce his new
Art in Embassies (AIE) collection . Art in Embassies is a program that was established in 1963 by the U.S. Department of State to showcase American art at official residences overseas. The jazz performance and reception was a perfect venue for ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 27 April, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Embassy, Events
| Tags: Adam Sterling
“He was a strict commander who required discipline. But he also had a big heart, and he loved fun. If there was laughter, Michal was guaranteed to be there.” This is how one of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Michal Strank’s former colleagues described him in a documentary about Strank’s life. Strank was a Rusin, who ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 18 April, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador
| Tags: Adam Sterling, travel
International Roma Day – celebrated on April 8 each year – is an opportunity to celebrate Roma, who have been an integral part of the rich cultural tapestry of Slovakia for hundreds of years. Roma number an estimated 10 to 12 million across Europe, while one million American citizens of Romani descent live in the ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 10 April, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
In the town of Velky Krtis in southern Banska Bystrica province, the Ambassador spoke to 60 high school students about his personal encounters with intolerance and anti-Semitism on March 16. Responding to questions from the audience, the Ambassador noted the shared commitment of the United States and Slovakia to the values of tolerance and diversity, ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 21 March, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador
| Tags: Adam Sterling, travel
On March 14 to 16, Ambassador Sterling visited Kosice, Moldava nad Bodvou, Rimavska Sobota, and Velky Krtis during a trip devoted largely to Roma and anti-extremism issues. The Ambassador visited the Romani community in Kosice’s Lunik IX district, home to one of the largest marginalized Romani communities in Slovakia, and the marginalized Budulovska settlement in ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 21 March, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador
| Tags: Adam Sterling, travel
In my trips across Slovakia over the six past months, I’ve met with government representatives, business leaders, civil society activists, artists, educators and journalists. I’ve been impressed by the talent and energy of the Slovak people, and by the pride you take in your country. Yet, if there is one area that all parties agree ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 28 February, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
As the Obama Administration comes to a close, it’s important to look back at the past eight years to appreciate how far America and its global partners have come, as well as to better understand the challenges we will face over the coming years. Today, America’s unemployment rate is 4.6 percent versus 10 percent in ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 17 January, 2017 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Education is the essential foundation for prosperity and opportunity. It strengthens our democracy, enriches our civic life, and serves as a pathway to economic success. It also cultivates young people’s talent and creativity, encourages them to connect with other people, and inspires them to discover and analyze the world in which they live. Everyone – ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 2 December, 2016 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
As prepared Good morning. It is a pleasure for me to be here today at Matej Bel University and to meet all of you. I’d like to begin by thanking Branislav Kováčik, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations, and Martina Šinkovičová from the GLOBSEC Academy Center for inviting me here to ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 23 November, 2016 | Topics:
Ambassador, Speeches
| Tags: Adam Sterling
Entrepreneurship and innovation are key economic drivers in Slovakia. The first reception I hosted as Ambassador was a kick-off event for this year’s Startup Awards, and in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve already heard a lot about how Slovakia is on the move – cybersecurity companies, offline navigation systems, and gaming giants ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 16 November, 2016 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
In my first month in Slovakia I have been struck by the depth and dynamism of U.S.-Slovak economic ties. But even more so by the potential for the future. Nearly 150 American companies operate here, companies such as U.S. Steel, Microsoft, AT&T, IBM and Cisco Systems. They have created around 50,000 jobs and have contributed ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 11 October, 2016 | Topics:
Ambassador, Op-Eds
| Tags: Adam Sterling
On September 15 the European Union extended its asset freeze and travel ban against Russian officials and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The United States welcomes this step and believes that sanctions are the most important tool the international community has for convincing Russia to end its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine and ensuring ...
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By U.S. Embassy Bratislava | 21 September, 2016 | Topics:
Ambassador, Press Releases
| Tags: sanctions
