BRATISLAVA (SITA) - Making Slovak President Michal Kováč`s correspondence public is an obvious violation of the law on letter privacy, presidential spokesman Vladimír Štefko told SITA on Friday. He was reacting to the article "Slovak President Writes George Soros" disseminated by Slovenska Republika daily. The daily wrote that "Michal Kováč, in late August 1997, wrote a letter to financial speculator George Soros. We believe that you shape your opinion even without any commentary." The daily provides the full-text of the letter. Štefko says, President Kováč really sent a letter to Soros in which he requested the multi-billionaire to continue his activities in providing travel grants and support for Slovak students. "The president can correspond with anyone whom he might consider as beneficial for Slovakia. Also this letter was to benefit Slovakia," Štefko added. However, a comparison of the original and published text proves that it is not a translation from English to Slovak. "It is the Slovak version that has never been mailed. It is only on the computer`s hard drive and its written form is in a folder at the presidential office," Štefko stressed. He suspects that someone from the Slovenska Republika has stolen the letter from the Presidential office. In the letter, the Slovak President among others wrote that not only well known personalities shape Slovakia`s image abroad, but also our skilled people. They are the real ambassadors of Slovakia. Thanks to your generosity about 700 of them were able to travel abroad and deliver our message to the far corners of the world. "I am aware that, considering the present political development, many of our Western friends - mainly in the non-governmental sector - are considering reducing funds or even halting their operation in Slovakia," he wrote and stressed that exactly now Slovakia needs more contacts with West.