Over two hundred guests, consisting of the United States government representatives, diplomats from all over the world, high-ranking military officers, compatriots, and professionals, attended the special event at noon on October 27, 2016.

Ambassador of the Czech Republic Petr Gandalovič offered his opening remarks, referring to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s message of congratulations on the 98^th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia as well as emphasizing that the newly formed country set “standards for a democratic community in terms of civic participation, respect for human rights, and political civility… (being) one of the first countries to introduce women’s suffrage.”

The Ambassador then addressed the current thriving relationship between the Czech Republic and the United States, stressing that the Czech Republic strives to be an “effective and reliable partner” and speaking about his country’s active part in the anti-ISIL coalition.

Furthermore, Ambassador Gandalovič praised the importance of bilateral commerce, noting that the “United States became the largest trading partner of the Czech Republic outside of the European Union in 2015.” In turn, the Czech Republic has attracted much US investment such as recently from GE Aviation.

Continuing with the Ambassador’s thoughts on shared democratic values and mutual collaboration, Deputy Assistant Secretary Hoyt Brian Yee of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US Department of State next spoke on behalf of the American people offering his heartfelt wishes on the honorable occasion. He reiterated the strong ties between the Czech Republic and the United States as well as commended the Czech Embassy for its cultural and community outreach in the Washington, DC, area.  

Stanislav Kotyza sang the Czech and US national anthems as well as delighted the guests with his impeccable performance of “Ach Synku, Synku,” the beloved song of Czechoslovakia’s founding father and first President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

Note: Czech National Day is officially October 28