The Medal Order of Merit Rewarded to the Finnish Ambassador
An Important Recognition for Lifetime Achievement
August 13th, 2015
Every year, since 1951, the Federal President of Germany rewards a selected number of people with the Medal Order of Merit. This year, among the other winners there was also Päivi Luostarinen, the Finnish Ambassador in Germany.
The Order of Merit was established by the Federal President Theodor Heuss in 1951, since that date, every year, around 300-500 Medals Order of Merit are rewarded. The Order of Merit is awarded to domestic and foreign citizens for political, socio-economic and spiritual benefits and to all outstanding achievements in Germany, as in the social and charitable field. It is the highest recognition that the Federal Government gives for services rendered by people in Germany.
Usually the medal is delivered during a ceremony that is head by the Federal President or by the Prime Minister or by other ministries; in some special cases, the ceremony takes place on the 3rd of October, Day of German Unity.
When the Order of Merit was established, the main winners of the medal were mostly men, but, over the years, the number of women and young people that have won the prize is steadily increasing. A demonstration of that is the fact that Päivi Luostarinen, the Ambassador of Finland in the Federal Republic of Germany, has been one of the winners of the Medal Order of Merit. The Ambassador has been awarded with the Grand Cross of Merit (Großkreuz) of the Federal Republic of Germany for her contributions to the promotion of Finnish-German relations.
Päivi Luostarinen began her career in 1981, at the beginning she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland, then she moved to New York where she became a member of the Permanent Mission of Finland at the United Nations. When she came back to Finland, she dealt with European issues and worked with European Institutions. In 2011 she was appointed Ambassador in Germany and over years of activity, she has strongly improved and strengthened relationships between two countries
The winning of the Grand Cross of Merit represents an important recognition for the Ambassador, it demonstrates that her hard work has been appreciated. What is more, it has allowed the creation of closer relationships between Germany and Finland.
References and Links
- Reference: http://www.finnland.de/public/default.aspx?contentid=332269&nodeid=37052&contentlan=33&culture=de-DE
Sara Conti, Berlin Global
