For the first time, Slovakia hosted an event in Kuwait to showcase its culture and people. The event began after opening remarks from Slovak Ambassador Igor Hajdusek. Part of Hajdusek's promise to HH the Amir was to organize events that showcase Slovak cultural heritage and social, medical and artistic life to promote mutual friendly relations and camaraderie among Kuwaitis, the Slovak community and other nationalities.

"I presented my credentials to HH the Amir on January 22 this year with the promise to host several events that will reintroduce the country's best practices, sites, culture and people," he said. Hajdusek introduced his country's rich history, adding the 1989 Velvet Revolution opened the door for the possibility of freedom from communism to democracy. After that revolution, the former Czechoslovakia ceased to exist and two nations were born - the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic.

The envoy took pride in his country being the destination for many Kuwaitis in search of medical treatment abroad. "The country is well known to many as the best country for spa treatment. We have many visitors from Kuwait because of our spas. We are rich in interesting folk dances, we have more than 1,600 mineral springs, we have several majestic castles and chateaus, the first folk architectural reserve in the world with 6,000 caves, the oldest EU marathon and the tastiest cheese-brynza," he opined.

The ambassador then introduced members of the delegation to the invited guests, who were treated to Slovak fashion and music while sharing sumptuous food.

By Ben Garcia