NEW YORK/BRATISLAVA, September 21, (SITA) — U.S. President Barack Obama highly appreciated steps taken by the Slovak government in the area of increasing transparency. “We are proud of you,” President Obama emphasized when he was speaking with Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. On Tuesday, the Slovak prime minister participated in a discussion during the Open Government Partnership forum. Before the forum, the U.S. president held short talks with heads of countries and governments of participants. During the talks, Iveta Radicova stated that for both countries, not only constant increase of transparency is a challenge, but also fight against high unemployment and the necessity to adopt strict measures in the U.S.A. and the euro zone in connection with the risk of a return of the global crisis. “Evidence that Barack Obama finds government transparency a key priority is his detailed overview of measures that participating countries, including Slovakia, have been implementing,” the prime minister commented on the meeting with the U.S. president.
The aim of the initiative Open Government Partnership is international cooperation in areas of transparency, responsibility, civil engagement, and fight against corruption. On Tuesday, September 20, Barack Obama hosted the first forum of participants on the highest level. Founders of the initiative are the U.S.A., Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, and the U.K., and important non-governmental organizations. At the New York meeting, thirty-eight additional countries, including Slovakia, formally joined the forum. Each of these countries expressed its determination to adopt significant reforms supporting open government, transparent management of public funds, free access to information and civil engagement.
By March 2012, Slovakia will have outlined an action plan that will bind it to implement reforms in transparency of the public administration, fight against corruption, cronyism and extension of public control. Slovakia will then present this plan at the second high-level meeting in Brazil. “Open Government Partnership for me is a completely natural and welcome initiative, fully in line with the government’s program statement and thus-far steps that we have made in this area, such as central registry of [public sector] contracts. The initiative is to create an opportunity to compare with others, and what’s more, we can inspire each other, thus increasing our citizens’ standard of living,” Radicova added.
The Cabinet Office’s Press Department provided this information to SITA news agency.
SITA