King Harald V of Norway Awards State Honours to Slovak Jan Zima

King Harald V of Norway Awards State Honours to Slovak Jan Zima
Oslo/Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) – Norwegian king Harald V has awarded high state honours to a Slovak citizen, president of the Norwegian Slovak Forum (Norsk Slovakisk Forum/NSF) Jan Zima, TASR was told by the forum on Friday.

Harald V bestowed the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, First Class on Zima.
The decision to award the state honours, which has been officially published on the website of the Norwegian Royal Palace this week, states that King Harald V awarded Zima, a translator and language teacher in Oslo, for his work in strengthening Norwegian-Slovak relations.
This is the first such award for a Slovak citizen living in Norway, noted the forum, adding that this is also a compliment from Norway to Slovakia before the first state ever visit of a Slovak president (Andrej Kiska) to the country, which will take place on June 4-6.
The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It’s awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens living abroad, diplomats, foreign civil servants in Norway, and Norway’s honorary consuls for “outstanding service in the interests of Norway”.