Today, September 1, the people of Slovakia are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Slovakian constitution of 1992. For me, as someone who was born in the capital city of Bratislava and traces her paternal routes to this beautiful country, it is a day of pride and celebration.

The signing of the constitution de facto established Slovakia as an independent and sovereign country and was a direct consequence of the events of the peaceful, non-violent and student-led velvet revolution, which took place in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and resulted in the ousting of the communist regime.

Slovakia today is a developed country of 5.4 million, with an advanced, high-income economy, a strong stance on civil liberties, democratic governance, universal health care and free education.

Led by Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president, Slovakia is a member of the EU, NATO, UN and the Council of Europe. Being home to eight UNESCO heritage sites, Slovakia boasts the largest number of castles per capita in the world, situated within its picturesque and mountainous landscapes.

An interesting fact to note, Mr. Speaker: Did you know that many of Ontario’s Jaguar, Land Rover and Kia vehicles are imported from this largest-per-capita car producer, which manufactures over one million passenger vehicles per year?

I am proud to be among the 72,000-strong Slovakian diaspora in Canada, in good company with politician Tim Hudak, sports journalist George Gross and hockey player Natalie Babonyová.

Dear colleagues, please join me in wishing our Slovakian Canadian friends a Šťastný Deň Ústavy Slovenskej republiky.