Post-EU Referendum Slovakia Roundtable

On May 22, 2003, Slovakia's Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Jan Figel, and Vladimir Bilcik, Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) analyst, addressed a roundtable sponsored by Friends of Slovakia (FOS) and the SFPA. The focus of the meeting was the outcome of Slovakia's May 16-17 European Union (EU) referendum. The discussion emphasized Slovakia's role both in EU policymaking towards its new eastern neighbors and in strengthening the transatlantic partnership. The speakers stressed the importance of capitalizing on the current positive momentum in Slovakia to complete necessary reforms both domestically and with respect to foreign policy. The meeting was co-chaired by CSIS Eastern Europe Project Director Janusz Bugajski and Former U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Russell.