Slovak Diplomat Becomes the New Director of the Visegrad Fund

The International Visegrad Fund has a new Executive Director. On August 1, Linda Kapustová Helbichová, Slovak diplomat, assumed her duties as the head of the institution, replacing Ambassador Petr Mareš from Czechia.

The change in the post of the Executive Director takes place during a regular 3-year rotation of representatives of each of the four Visegrad Group countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia). Linda Kapustová Helbichová is the third Slovak Executive Director since the Fund’s foundation in 2000.

Prior to this post, Mrs Kapustová Helbichová served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Slovak Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, also as Director General for international relations at the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, and as the Fund’s Deputy Executive Director in the past.

“I believe in the strong role of the Visegrad Fund, which is based on solid foundations. I look forward to working with the international team and I am confident that together with my colleagues we will continue to support the creativity and cooperation of civil society in the wider region,” said the Director Kapustová Helbichová.

“I am confident I am leaving the Fund in a good shape,” said Petr Mareš, and expressed his wish that the institution retains its independence and its uniqueness. “So far, the Fund has always been able to demonstrate the common will of all four governments to support projects which—despite the political situation—are created and implemented by civil society,” added departing director Mareš.