On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send sincere congratulations to the people of Slovakia as you celebrate the 21st anniversary of your Constitution on September 1.

This is a special year for our two nations as we mark 20 years of U.S.-Slovak diplomatic relations. We share a long history of friendly and productive relations, and our mutual commitment to freedom, respect for human rights, and Euro-Atlantic integration will continue to unite us in the future.

Slovakia is a strong and reliable partner of the United States in NATO. We are grateful for your work with emerging democracies around the world, especially with those on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration. The cultural ties between our people are particularly close, and trade between our countries increased by nearly 60 percent from 2010 through 2012.

We look forward to building on this momentum.

On behalf of the American people, I offer best wishes for peace, prosperity, and happiness in the year to come.