Petr Luňák worked for many years at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic before assuming a position at the NATO International Secretariat in 2010, where he is now responsible for public diplomacy. He holds a PhD from Charles University in Prague and has taught international relations and modern history. He is also an author of a number of works on the Cold War.

The Medal for Merit in Diplomacy is one of the two awards of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has been awarded since 2019 as a token of appreciation to domestic and foreign personalities or institutions. The Medal is awarded by Foreign Ministers for outstanding contribution to Czech diplomacy, Czech foreign policy, the development of the Czech Republic's foreign relations and consolidation of peace in the world.