10th anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Republic

1 000 Sk commemorative silver coin

The democratic revolution of November 1989 ended the over 40-year rule of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia and paved the way for the political, economic and social transformation of society. It also led to a new form of constitution, which, due to the different views of the Slovak and Czech ruling parties at that time, led to the dissolution of the Czechoslovak Federation.

The Slovak Republic as a sovereign state came into being on 1 January 1993. Since the very beginning of its existence it had been necessary to solve complex economic problems, including the introduction of a new currency, urgent creation of a system of economic and political institutions and establishment of the new state on the international scene. Already in its first year the Slovak Republic had become a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and had signed the European Community Association Agreement. In 2000 it became a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to join a group of the 30 most developed countries of the world. The results of the September 2002 elections are crucial to the continuation of reforms and continuity in foreign-policy orientation as well as the successful completion of the accession process and entry into NATO and the European Union. This will open new horizons for Slovakia in a united Europe.