Consul receives Czech decoration

Tonio Casapinta, the Czech Republic's honorary consul in Malta, has been awarded the Gratias Agit award for services to the Czech Republic.

Czech deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Cyril Svobod presented the award at a ceremony in Prague.

Every year, the Czech government presents the award to honour the work of people of Czech descent, those with strong ties to the Czech Republic and personalities whose work contributes to the betterment of others.

Eleven laureates and three organisations from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the US and Malta were honoured for their achievements.

Among those receiving the award were Israeli Ruth Bondy, a Czech-born survivor of the Holocaust, and a renowned translator of literature from Czech into Hebrew.

Mr Casapinta was praised for contributing to the enhancement of economic, commercial and political relations between the two countries.

During this period and through his own initiative, various cultural, commercial and philanthropic activities were successfully organised including the setting up of the Maltese-Czech Society and the Czech Trade Overseas Office in Malta.