Before a delighted audience, Ambassador Kmoníček offered remarks on independence and the historical road the country had traveled in the past 103 years. Delivering his speech with witty wisdom, he noted that the nation historically faced regime changes every twenty years; yet, since the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Czech have been enjoying freedom and democracy for the last thirty-two years, thanks to the country’s deeply rooted membership in the EU and NATO.

Next, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Dereck J. Hogan delivered the key address. Ambassador Hogan stressed the Czech Republic and the United States have a shared history and a common future together. He spoke about the strong transatlantic alliance and joint adherence to democratic values and principles.

The historical context of the celebration was reflected in the reception hall’s exhibition Czech Photography from the PPF Collection. The PPF Group, an international investment group founded in the Czech Republic, concentrates on philanthropic activities in the areas of education and culture. In this regard, it has created the largest private collection of Czech and Slovak photography today, conceived mainly as the preservation of national cultural heritage. Guests at the Czech Embassy were able to view a cross-section from the collection, representing different eras of Czech history from the year 1870 through the current times.