Ministr Jan Lipavský udělil medaili „Za zásluhy o diplomacii“ patnácti osobnostem a dvěma institucím. Pro slavnostní akt si symbolicky vybral 17. listopad, kdy si Česko připomíná Den boje za svobodu a demokracii a Mezinárodní den studentstva.

“Today is a living holiday, the citizens of our country spontaneously commemorate it, gather on Národní třida and in the centers of cities and towns and rejoice in the freedom we won in November 1989. Today’s holiday is a real celebration of the values on which our modern statehood and our diplomacy are based,” Minister Lipavský said at the beginning.

This year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to honor not only important personalities, but also two organizations, the Czech School without Borders and the Czech Republic Charity. Through their activities in the provision of health and social care and in the field of education, they help to maintain the good name of the Czech Republic abroad.

“Freedom, democracy, human rights and the security of the Czech Republic and Europe could not be defended without the enthusiasm, courage and dedication of specific people. Both those who work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and those who are engaged in the diplomacy of freedom and democracy in other professions,” added Jan Lipavský.

Among the laureates, in addition to the Czechs, there are also representatives of Germany, Spain, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Tunisia and Bahrain.

The Medal for Merit in Diplomacy has been awarded since 2019 as one of two departmental awards of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as an expression of gratitude to domestic and foreign personalities. Foreign ministers award it for an extraordinary contribution to Czech diplomacy, Czech foreign policy, the development of the Czech Republic’s foreign relations and the consolidation of peace in the world.

Over the past four years, 80 individuals and organizations have received this award, including, for example, Madeleine K. Albright, Lord George Robertson, Javier Solana, Martin Povejšil, Šimon Pánek or Klaus Kinkel in memoriam and a number of other Czech and foreign politicians, ministers, diplomats and organizations or institutions.

In addition to those who came to receive the award in person on November 17, 2023, the medal was also awarded in 2023 to five other individuals and one organization who received or will receive the award on another occasion.

Iva Bittová – Czech singer, violinist and actress living in the USA Iva Bittová belongs to the most prominent personalities of the Czech alternative music scene. She studied singing and playing the violin at the conservatory in Brno, and from 1978 she was a member of the String Theater, where she drew attention to herself with the role of Eržika in the play Ballad for the Bandit. She has been performing as a singer and violinist since 1984. She achieved many successes on the European progressive music scene. Her musical activities cover various genres, from folk songs to experimental jazz, rock and serious music. She has released three dozen music CDs and acted in fifteen films as an actress. She has worked closely with our embassies in the realization of musical performances, including in New York, Mexico and other countries. She has received numerous domestic and foreign awards for her musical and film achievements. He has been living in the USA since 2007.

More information and source here.