Pellegrini: Martin Declaration Was Slovak Nation's Fundamental Stance

Bratislava, 30 October (TASR) - The Martin Declaration expressed the Slovak nation's fundamental stance, President Peter Pellegrini wrote on social media on Thursday to mark the 107th anniversary of the adoption of a document by which Slovaks declared their allegiance to the Czechoslovak Republic as the common state of Slovaks and Czechs. Pellegrini expressed hope that the Slovak political representation in particular will have, in the future, "the same courage, ability to reach agreement and sense of responsibility that was shown by our ancestors in Martin more than a century ago". "I have a feeling that we still don't fully appreciate the importance of this event, when dozens of leading figures of the nation gathered under one roof and, after lively discussions, managed to reach a common decision. Regardless of their background, faith or area of activity, they were able to agree on the creation of a representative national body and adopt the Martin Declaration, which expressed a decision to embark on a shared journey with our brotherly Czech nation," said Pellegrini. Without the clear stance of the Slovak nation expressed in Turciansky Svaty Martin [the former name of the town - ed.note] 107 years ago, the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic wouldn't have had legitimacy, said Pellegrini. Two days after the Czechoslovak National Committee adopted a law establishing the independent Czechoslovak Republic in Prague on 28 October 1918, an assembly was held in Turciansky Svaty Martin at which the participants adopted the Declaration of the Slovak Nation, also known as the Martin Declaration. Therefore, Thursday (30 October) marks 107 years since the adoption of the declaration by which Slovaks joined the Czechoslovak Republic in a common state with the Czechs. jrg/df