In an open letter, Bratislava Old Town’s Mayor Tatiana Rosová has asked Culture Minister Marek Maďarič in an open letter to abandon the idea of selling the building in Hviezdoslav Square now housing the US Embassy.
Rosová said, as quoted by the TASR newswure, she is worried that the sale would mean an end to hopes of restoring a public pedestrian zone next to the building. As she pointed out, the area in the immediate vicinity of the building was provided to the embassy by a decision of the City of Bratislava and the Old Town in relation to the need to implement security measures after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Old Town plans to restore the public spaces on land that has been occupied for security purposes, according to Rosová.
“For these reasons, there are ongoing negotiations with the embassy that seek a solution for providing security that won’t inhibit life in the city centre, including the possibility of relocating the diplomatic mission of the United States to other suitable locations within the Old Town,” she wrote. The Culture Ministry told Rosová in response that it’s too early to deal with this issue.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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