A commemorative medal and a commemorative stamp will also promote the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of Europe (CoE), which will last for six months from May, with the priorities of effective protection of national minorities, supporting the next generation, interreligious dialogue, preparing for future challenges and environmental protection. The CoE, founded in 1949, is a pan-European organisation whose primary goal is to advance European thinking in the fields of human rights, democracy and the protection of minorities, the State Secretary for Security Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) recalled at a press conference on the occasion of the awarding of the commemorative medal and the medal itself in Budapest on Tuesday. Péter Sztáray recalled that the Council of Europe was the first major pan-European organisation that Hungary joined after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first in the region to do so in 1990. The main priorities of the Hungarian Presidency will be the development of the rights of national minorities, the representation of the interests of the younger generation, inter-religious dialogue, the challenges of the future, such as the fight against cybercrime, and environmental protection. According to Sztáray, Hungarian tapestry artists are also preparing a monumental tapestry, which will be installed in one of the Council buildings after the end of the Hungarian Presidency. In addition to the commemorative medal and the commemorative stamp, a number of cultural programmes, including exhibitions and concerts, will draw attention to the Hungarian
Presidency, he said. Marcell Horváth, Head of the Executive Directorate for International Relations of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), recalled that the MNB has been issuing thematic commemorative coins since 1968, promoting issues of importance to Hungary on a broad scale. He said that the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency are also shared by the Central Bank, especially the protection of the environment and the future generation, but the managing director also highlighted the challenges posed by the development of artificial intelligence. The 2,000 forint commemorative coin, in non-ferrous metal, is intended to symbolise the unity of Europe and the pan-European spirit, and features a Europe-centric detail of a globe seen from outer space on the front and the official logo of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of Europe on the back. The commemorative coin, designed by the artist Balázs Bitó, will be issued in a limited edition of 7000 pieces. Sára Hegmanné Nemes, President of Magyar Posta, said: "The stamp is not just a simple means of paying fees, but an excellent opportunity to commemorate important events. The main motif of the commemorative stamp, designed by the artist André Attila Elekes, is the official logo of the Hungarian CoE Presidency, framed by the details of the European Universe tapestry commissioned by the MFAT. The occasional envelope shows the complete tapestry, with a satellite image of Europe at night in the centre, complemented by symbols reminiscent of painted ceiling cassettes, which hark back to classical architecture. The stamp, issued in 50,000 copies, has a face value of 570 forints and can be used to send items to Europe," said Sára Hegmanné Nemes. (MTI)