It's quite interesting how few people know about Slovak contributions to building American society and about famous Slovakian Americans.

Born in Hlohovec, Burian graduated in Oriental Studies at St. Petersburg University in the USSR and entered the service of the Czechoslovak foreign ministry in 1983.

Following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, he was appointed chargé d'affaires at the newly independent Slovakia embassy in Washington, D.C. and, shortly after, deputy chief of mission.

Burian was also Slovakia's permanent representative to the United Nations, and he became the Slovak Ambassador to the U.S. in December 2008.