Embassy Events
State Department Official Pierangelo on Tolerance and Corruption in Slovak Media Interviews
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| Claire Pierangelo addresses reporter's questions. Photo: Igor Schneeweiss. |
Claire Pierangelo, Director of the Central European Office of State Department, during a one-day visit to Bratislava on May 28, addressed questions of tolerance toward minorities, the global financial crisis and corruption in interviews with two Slovak media outlets: all-news television TA3 and daily newspaper Sme. In her live studio interview with TA3, Ms. Pierangelo discussed the growing discrimination against Roma and other ethnic minorities in Central Europe and the importance of strictly enforcing laws already on the books, especially those providing for equal education of children. She talked about U.S. concerns with the growing problems of corruption across the region as indicators of the economic climate of a country, making investors pause before risking new business ventures. She mentioned the important role played by Slovakia's Special Court in this context, as an example of how Slovakia has made serious efforts to prosecute organized crime and corruption cases involving public officials. While in Bratislava, Ms. Pierangelo met with Slovak government officials and Parliamentarians to discuss a wide range of issues, including Slovakia's military and civil society commitments in Afghanistan.
