Foreigners in Slovakia, page 29
News and features on living in Slovakia
The best diplomacy: travel, education exchange
THEODORE Sedgwick believes that for diplomats it is important to talk to the average person in order to better understand the country. “I really enjoyed my contact with so many Slovaks all over the country,” said Sedgwick, the US ambassador to Slovakia, who is serving his fourth year here as a diplomat. A passionate traveller himself, Sedgwick says Slovakia has much to offer as a tourist destination, and also as an important player in regional security.
Getting inspired by the hotbed of innovation
WAITING to see whether legislation has a negative effect on the business environment and then changing things is not the best approach when it comes to a business environment, says Jake Slegers, the executive director of AmCham in Slovakia, adding that frequent legislative changes without proper impact assessment are damaging.
US institutions in Slovakia
US Embassy to SlovakiaAmbassador: Theodore Sedgwickslovakia.usembassy.gov
Some of companies with Norwegian capital in Slovakia
Blomquist Transport, Žiar nad Hronom, www.blomquist.skCEPM, Bratislava, www.cepm.skEltek, Liptovský Hrádok, www.eltek.com/wip4/countryItera, Bratislava, www.itera.noJotun, www.jotun.comKongsberg Automotive, Vráble, www.kongsbergautomotive.comNera Networks, Liptovský Hrádok, www.neratelecom.comSlovalco, Žiar nad Hronom, www.slovalco.skSapa Profily, Žiar nad Hronom, www.sapagroup.comTimm Slovakia, Trenčín, www.timms.no/index.php
Norwegian institution in Slovakia
Royal Norwegian EmbassyNorwegian Ambassador to Slovakia: Inga Magistad www.norway.sk
Norway: General facts
Head of state: King Harald V of NorwayForm of government: parliamentary democracyCapital: OsloTotal area: 385,186 square kilometresPopulation: 5 millionOfficial languages: Norwegian (Bokmal and Nynorsk) (In some districts, Sámi is also an official language) Currency: Norwegian Kroner
Norwegian solidarity
INGA Magistad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Slovakia, offers a long list of projects that have come to fruition thanks to the EEA/Norway Grants, including that of a community centre in Moldava nad Bodvou run by a local Roma woman who tutors children from the Roma settlement, as well as reconstructed cultural heritage monuments, a swimming pool for the disabled and shelters for abused women. Her homeland has so far allocated more than €150 million to support projects for social and economic development.
Bilateral trade modest but growing by tens of percents
TO DATE, relatively few Norwegian investors have chosen Slovakia when expanding abroad, but those who have are now among the more important firms and employers in the country. Bilateral trade, while still modest, has developed positively too, growing by dozens of percents annually.
Norwegian culture captivates Slovaks
NORWAY’S embassy continues to satiate Slovaks’ thirst for Norwegian culture by organising and promoting a broad range of events and performances showcasing its films, literature, musical talent and much more.
Polish institutions in Slovakia
Embassy of the Republic of PolandAmbassador: Tomasz Chłońbratyslawa.msz.gov.pl
Difficulties in air travel connection
EVEN though Poland and Slovakia are divided by mountains, and existing cross-border road infrastructure is far from ideal, there are currently no direct regular flights between the two countries. There have been some attempts to launch such routes, but interest was too low to maintain them. Yet, hopes that direct routes will be made available again in the future have not faded completely, as tourism experts believe that a direct flight would help foster tourism in the High Tatras.
All facets of Polish culture on offer
IN SOME areas of Slovakia, Polish is traditionally the second language and the two cultures enjoy numerous other areas of overlap, too. But there is also much that is unique to the culture of Slovakia’s northern neighbour.
Polish passion for Visegrad
TOMASZ Chłoń believes that the Visegrad Group has the potential to emulate the success of the Nordic and Benelux regions, while the Polish Ambassador to Slovakia has more than just political and economic integration in mind, but “social as well, leading to stronger Visegrad cohesion and even identity, to ultimately overcome even the most potent historical tensions, such as those between Hungary and Slovakia”.
SMEs discussed
SMALL and medium-sized companies of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries were the focus of a congress organised by the Slovak-Polish Chamber of Commerce near the village of Belá close to Žilina on September 3.
Economic cooperation far from fully tapped
BEING neighbours does not automatically mean that opportunities for economic cooperation are fully tapped. This is the case with Poland and Slovakia, two countries which, despite sharing a border more than 540-kilometres long, are divided by mountains and far-from-ideal cross-border road infrastructure. Experts cite this underdeveloped transport infrastructure as one of the main obstacles to better cooperation.
Gas interconnection
SLOVAKIA and Poland should be interconnected by a gas pipeline within several years as Slovak gas transmission system operator Eustream is making progress in implementing its planned investment projects. These projects form a vital part of the proposed North-South Gas Corridor as envisaged and supported by the European Union, which includes building gas infrastructure connections between Hungary and Poland.
General facts: Poland
Political system: Parliamentary democracyCapital: WarsawTotal area: 312,679 square kilometresPopulation: over 38 millionLanguage: PolishCurrency: złoty
Korean traces in Slovakia
ONE might assume that many Slovaks see Korean culture as distant or exotic, but the two countries’ strong economic ties, as well as the Republic of Korea’s physical and cultural presence in Slovakia, illustrate how many aspects of Korean life are increasingly felt and embraced by Slovaks.
Japanese institutions and organisations in Slovakia
Embassy of JapanAmbassador: Akio Egawawww.sk.emb-japan.go.jp
Existing investments draw new ones
THE REPUBLIC of Korea is the most important non-European investor in Slovakia, which has had the effect of boosting mutual trade. But since Korean companies prefer their own sub-contractors, new Korean investments tend to be attracted to already existing ones. Earlier this year, the arrival of new investors, plus the expansion of some existing ones, were announced.
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