Rudolf Schuster (January 4, 1934, Košice) -Civil engineer, since 1999 president of the Slovak Republic.

Rudolf Schuster, after his graduation from the Slovak Technical University, Faculty of Construction in 1959, worked at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in 1960-62, investment and management in VSŽ, and later he served with the Košice National City Council. He was elected Mayor for the first time in 1983. In 1986 he became Chairman of the Eastern Slovak Regional National Council. In the years 1989 -1990 he headed the Slovak National Council. Since 1990 he has worked in diplomatic service as an Ambassador of the former ČSFR to Canada. After returning in 1992 -1994, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. In 1994, he was elected for a second term, and again in 1998 for his third term as Mayor of Košice. In the first direct presidential elections in May 1999, Mr. Schuster was elected by the citizens for the President of the Slovak Republic and entered the office after the inauguration on June 15, 1999.

Rudolf Schuster is the author of several travelogues, radioplays, radio shows, travel and documentary movies. Mr. Schuster has been awarded the highest state award of the Slovak Republic, 1.^st Class Pribina Cross, received the Order of Tolerance from the town of Wuppertal, Federal Republic of Germany, the Scroll of honor Habitat, and is bearer ofthe Grand Cross of Merit with Collar of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He has honory doctorates from the Košice Technical University (1998) and Bergische Universitat Gesamthochschule in Wuppertal (1999).