Servare et Manere is the exclusive supplier of the highest departmental award of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (MFAaEA SR) called the Medal of Merit for Slovak Diplomacy. The award is awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and is awarded to persons for extraordinary merits in building diplomacy of the Slovak Republic, significant contribution to the fulfillment of foreign policy goals of the Slovak Republic, development of relations with the Slovak Republic or for spreading the good name of the Slovak Republic abroad. The artistic author of the medal is herald Marek Sobola together with diplomat Ľubomír Rehák, who is also the author of the idea of this award. The realization of the medal was created in cooperation with the Kremnica Mint, a state-owned enterprise. PhDr. Igor Graus, PhD., the founder of the scientific faleristics in Slovakia, praised the design and execution of the award as an excellent deed and an example worth following. Servare et Manere supplies the MFAaEA SR complete sets of women’s and men’s versions of the award, including decorative boxes (etui), boards for decrees and blank decrees. The very first medals in history were awarded by the Minister to the selected laureates on 1 December 2020 and handed over on 5 December 2020 by Ambassador Ľubomír Rehák at ground of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London.
Description of the award
The double-sided medal consists of a metal module 40 mm in diameter embossed in brass, silver-plated and subsequently patinated. The central motif of the obverse consists of three linden leaves laid on a net. On the obverse is also Slovak text in a circle: DIPLOMACIA MIER PRIATEĽSTVO SPOLUPRÁCA (DIPLOMACY PEACE FRIENDSHIP COOPERATION). The central reverse motif is shaking hands placed on the net. The reverse consists also of the medal’s name together with the main criterion of merit for which the award is awarded: ZA ZÁSLUHY O SLOVENSKÚ DIPLOMACIU (FOR MERIT FOR SLOVAK DIPLOMACY). The metal module is hung on a light blue-white-blue-red silk ribbon 38 mm wide. The Medal of Merit is established in both men’s and women’s versions, which is distinguished by the type of ribbon. The medal includes a 38 mm wide ribbon and a rosette with a diameter of 12 mm.
