At the European Committee of the Regions plenary session in Brussels on 4 December, the President of the Bratislava Region and ECR Group Member, Juraj Droba, will host an exhibition and reception to mark the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution - one of the most significant events in the history of Czechoslovakia and independent Slovakia.

It was the Velvet Revolution that paved the way for the freedom of the Czech and Slovak people and opened the door to the first steps towards European integration. This cultural presentation is being organised by the Bratislava Region's office in Brussels, in cooperation with local secondary schools.

"It is very important to actively remember the events of 1989 which made us a democratic country. The revolution began as a student initiative and therefore students, as representatives of the next generation, will also play a key role in marking its 30th anniversary," said Juraj Droba, President of the Bratislava Region. Students of the Josef Vydra School of Applied Arts will prepare an exhibition of graphic art to present their view of the revolution.

The celebration of freedom will begin in Bratislava on 17 November with "Closed Borders Weekend", an event to remind those living in and visiting the Bratislava region of the totalitarian climate that existed at the border. The Freedom Cycling Bridge, linking Slovakia with Austria across the Morava river, which once marked the Iron Curtain, will be closed during the weekend, and only those with a "travel permit" will be able to go to the West. The Freedom Cycling Bridge was built with EU support.