SNS [Jan SLOTA, chairman];
Slovak Green Alternative or SZA [Zora LAZAROVA, chairwoman]; Farmers'
Party of Slovakia or RSS [Pavel DELINGA, chairman], note-Pavel DELINGA
was elected chairman of New Agrarian Party or NAS in November 1997
which emerged from a merger of the Slovak Farmer's Party or RSS and
the Farmers Movement of the Slovak Republic or HPS; Social Democratic
Party of Slovakia or SSDS [Jaroslav VOLF, chairman]; Party of Greens
in Slovakia or SZS [Zdeuka TOTHORA, chairman]; Democratic Party or DS
[Jan LANGOS, chairman]; Slovak Democratic Coalition or SDK (includes
KDH, DS, DU, SSDS, SZS) [Mikulas DZURINDA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Party of Entrepreneurs and
Businessmen of Slovakia; Christian Social Union; Confederation of
Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG;
Association of Employers of Slovakia; Association of Towns and
Villages or ZMOS

International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
(observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU
(associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Branislav LICHARDUS
chancery: (temporary) Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161
FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph R. JOHNSON
embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [42] (7) 533-0861, 533-3338
FAX: [42] (7) 533-5439

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue,
and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the
hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and
blue

@Slovakia:Economy

Economy-overview: Since the establishment of the Slovak Republic on 1
January 1993, Slovakia has continued the difficult transformation from
a centrally controlled economy to a modern market-oriented economy.
Macroeconomic performance improved steadily in 1994-96, but
privatization progressed only in fits and starts. Strong export
performance boosted GDP growth to 4.9% in 1994 after a four-year
decline. GDP then rose by 6.8% in 1995, 7% in 1996, and