Bratislava, March 23 (CTK) – Former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright will receive the Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Award at the forthcoming security Globsec that will be held in Bratislava in April, organisers told CTK on Wednesday.
Albright will be decorated for her contribution to the strengthening of Euro-Atlantic relations.
Albright, who was U.S. secretary of state in 1997-2001, was born as Marie Jana Koerbelova, the first of three children in the family of Czech-Jewish diplomat Josef Korbel (previously Koerbel). After the wartime Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was declared by Nazi Germany in March 1939, the family fled to Britain where they converted to Catholicism.
“During her career, Albright actively supported democratisation and building freedom and stability in Central Europe,” Milan Solar, executive director of the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC) NGO, said.
“Her commitment helped integrate former East Bloc countries into NATO,” Solar said.
The award-giving ceremony is a joint effort of SAC and the Czech group Jagello 2000 that deals with security issues.
In the past, the award was also given to Karel Kovanda, former Czech ambassador to NATO.
