THE CZECH Republic and Slovakia, were in 1968 still united as
Czechoslovakia. Dr. Robert Rehak, cultural and press attaché at
the Embassy of the Czech Republic, has sent out "hold the date"
notices for August 28 when the embassy will host a special
commemorative event marking the 40th anniversary of the Prague
Spring liberalizing political and cultural reforms. Soviet leaders
felt threatened by the reforms, and in August sent Warsaw Pact
troops to occupy the country. There was resistance in Prague, but
the occupation eventually managed to reestablish a strong
Communist regime subservient to the Soviet Union. The reforms
had begun in January 1968, when Alexander Dubcek came to
power and sought to liberalize the press and to grant additional
rights to citizens. In March, 2004, Dubcek's son Milan Dubcek
presented his credentials to then president Moshe Katsav as
Slovakia's ambassador to Israel.