On 21st August Slovakia is commemorating the August 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw pact troops and the subsequent occupation of the country for more than 20 years.
21 August, 1968 was as one of the darkest dates of modern history of Slovakia, stated President Andrej Kiska. “Armies from five communist countries, controlled by Moscow, brutally violated international law. The assault against our homeland cost us dozens of lives and hundreds of injured,” stated the President. The occupation had tragic consequences for today's Slovakia, Kiska claims as “a lot of talented and educated people refused to live in an occupied country and emigrated, seeking freedom. Thousands of others were laid off and their children banned from receiving university education. During the era of the so-called normalisation, the country succumbed to despair, resignation, passivity and, unfortunately, also to the practice of informing on those close to us,” Kiska added.
On this occasion, the daily Sme also opens the story of the “invitation letter” for the troops from Czechoslovakia. During the president campaign, Andrej Kiska confirmed that if elected President, he would request from Russia to see the original letter. The President is to meet Russian representatives in a few days, at the Slovak National Uprising celebration. However, given the character of the event, he will not open the issue there, stated his spokesperson. It has been long investigated whether such a letter that was signed by the lead figure of the Czechoslovak Communist party Vasil Biľak. In February Biľak died and the investigation was ceased, writes the Sme daily.
