Mayor demands US Embassy remove fence; embassy declines

The controversial fence surrounding the US Embassy in Bratislava's Old Town will have to be removed, said Old Town mayor Radoslav Števčík, who issued an order to that effect on Tuesday. The US Embassy has declared that it doesn't intend to comply, however. "Today, I signed the decision with which the Old Town borough of Bratislava as the relevant construction authority orders the removal of the fence around the embassy," stated Števčík at a press briefing, adding that the US Embassy failed to provide proof of its ownership or any other right to the land on which the fence stands. There is the option of appealing against the order within 15 days. If this option isn't used, the decision will become valid, and the US Embassy will have to remove the fence, which some deem an eyesore, within three months at its own cost. In its response, the US Embassy to Slovakia stated that it doesn't plan to remove the fence, citing agreed security agreements with the City of Bratislava.