, SNS 14)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National
Council); Constitutional Court (judges appointed by president from
group of nominees approved by the National Council)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Movement or KDH
[Pavol HRUSOVSKY]; Liberal Democratic Union or LDU [Jan BUDAJ];
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia or HZDS [Vladimir MECIAR]; Party
of Civic Understanding or SOP [Pavol HAMZIK]; Party of the
Democratic Left or SDL [Jozef MIGAS]; Party of the Hungarian
Coalition or SMK [Bela BUGAR]; Slovak Democratic and Christian Union
or SDKU [Mikulas DZURINDA]; note - this is DZURINDA's new party for
2002 elections; he remains chairman of a rump and splintering SDK;
Slovak Democratic Coalition or SDK (loose parliamentary club
grouping representing members of the smaller SSDS, SZS, and those
committed to run under SDKU in 2002) [Mikulas DZURINDA]; Slovak
National Party or SNS [Anna MALIKOVA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Association of Employers of
Slovakia; Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation
of Trade Unions or KOZ; Metal Workers Unions or KOVO and METALURG

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Martin BUTORA

chancery: Suite 250, 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20007; note - new chancery opening in June 2001 at International
Court NW, Washington, DC

telephone: [1] (202) 965-5161

FAX: [1] (202) 965-5166

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Carl SPIELVOGEL

embassy: Hviezdoslavovo Namestie 4, 81102 Bratislava

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [421] (7) 5443-3338

FAX: [421] (7) 5443-0096

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: Slovakia continues the difficult transition