Ambassador Obsitnik Deepens Understanding of Hungarian-Slovak Relations during Trip in Southern Slovakia

March 3, 2008

In a two-day visit to southern Slovakia on March 3-4, Ambassador Vincent Obsitnik discussed, among other topics, the U.S. primary season and election system with 250 students at Selye University in Komarno. In his talk with students, Ambassador Obsitnik highlighted the importance Americans and the U.S. educational system places on embracing diversity, noting that Komarno, a town in Slovakia with mixed population of Slovaks and Hungarians, serves as a model of tolerance. Throughout the south, Ambassador Obsitnik had meetings with mayors who readily shared with him the state of Hungarian-Slovak relations and the business environment in the region. These meetings prompted in-depth accounts of on-going efforts on the part of the Embassy to attract American investment to Slovakia. A key point of Ambassador Obsitnik’s remarks was that the U.S. Embassy will hold a conference in April that will present best practices in tackling long-term unemployment in the country. The Ambassador also met with Roma NGO representatives and discussed the work they are doing to improve opportunities for Romani living in the region.