US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA562

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000562 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR, D, P, AND PA 
 
FROM THE AMBASSADOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, LO 
SUBJECT: HIGH-LEVEL USG PARTICIPATION IN SLOVAK NATIONAL 
UPRISING 60TH ANNIVERSARY 
 
 
1.  PRIME MINISTER DZURINDA HAS INVITED PRESIDENT BUSH OR 
HIS REPRESENTATIVE TO ATTEND THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 60TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING IN BANSKA 
BYSTRICA, SLOVAKIA (LETTER ALREADY DELIVERED IN WASHINGTON 
BY THE SLOVAK EMBASSY).  AUGUST 29, 2004 MARKS THE 60TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING, WHEN SLOVAKS 
COMMEMORATE THEIR PROUD RESISTANCE TO NAZI AND FASCIST 
FORCES RULING THE COUNTRY DURING WORLD WAR II.  IT ALSO 
MARKS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN U.S.-SLOVAK RELATIONS, AS U.S. 
MILITARY FORCES AND MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC 
SERVICES SUPPORTED THE UPRISING BY AIRLIFTING SUPPLIES TO 
THE PARTISANS.  THERE ARE MANY TOUCHING STORIES OF U.S. 
PILOTS WHO WERE SHOT DOWN BY NAZI FORCES AND SAVED BY SLOVAK 
CITIZENS. 
 
2.  SEVERAL VETERANS ARE PLANNING TO RETURN TO SLOVAKIA TO 
MARK THE OCCASION, AND THE EMBASSY IS PLANNING A SERIES OF 
EVENTS TO HIGHLIGHT THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN SLOVAK AND 
AMERICAN CITIZENS, INCLUDING THE TRANSLATION INTO SLOVAK OF 
A BOOK DESCRIBING U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE UPRISING.  EMBASSY 
ACTIVITIES WILL HELP REKINDLE FRIENDSHIPS AMONG VETERANS AND 
SLOVAK VILLAGERS, AND ENSURE THAT THE U.S. CONTRIBUTION IS 
FOREVER NOTED AT THE MUSEUM OF THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING. 
 
3.  I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE HIGH-LEVEL REPRESENTATION AT THIS 
EVENT.  A HIGH-LEVEL VISITOR WILL REINFORCE THE CONTINUING 
TIES AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND SLOVAKIA 
IN A NEW AGE, WHEN WE ARE NATO ALLIES AND AGAIN WORKING SIDE 
    BY SIDE TO BRING FREEDOM TO PEOPLE IN PLACES SUCH AS IRAQ 
AND AFGHANISTAN.  MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, THEN AMBASSADOR TO THE 
UNITED NATIONS, WAS THE VIP GUEST DURING THE 50TH 
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN 1994, AND HER PARTICIPATION WAS 
GREATLY APPRECIATED (AND IS STILL RECALLED) BY THE SLOVAK 
GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS. 
 
WEISER 
 
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