2002 Press Releases

Joint Conference of the US and Slovak Governments on Export Enforcement Held in Bratislava on July 22 - 23

Bratislava, July 22, 2002

A joint conference of the governments of the Slovak Republic and the United States is being held at the Hotel Carlton in Bratislava on July 22 - 23 on the topic of export enforcement. This workshop is part of the long-term cooperative effort between the United States and the Slovak Republic to improve the Slovak Republic's export control system. Among the speakers will be experts from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as specialists from the government of the Slovak Republic.

In his opening remarks to the participants, Ambassador Ronald Weiser said, "One of the most important goals of this workshop, and the one I appreciate most, is the aim to better integrate the many different agencies involved in building a successful criminal case. Representatives from the Customs Directorate, the Police Presidium, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy, as well as investigators and prosecutors are present today. … Better cooperation on these complex cases will lead to improved enforcement institutions. Stronger enforcement institutions will result in the kind of deterrent that prevents such illicit activities from occurring in the first place."

The U.S. government export control assistance program to the Slovak Republic has included both training and donations of equipment, including radiation detectors, night-vision devices, and a computerized licensing system for tracking imports and exports.