Honeycombs to be engraved on coins on World Honeybee Day
Ljubljana, 19 July - About one million commemorative coins are to be issued on World Honeybee Day, an initiative headed by Slovenia to declare 20 May an observance dedicated to the importance of honeybees. The coins will bear an image of a globe-shaped honeycomb representing the world.
Novi Sad, Serbia
Honeybee
Photo: Tanjug/STA
The coins will also bear two inscriptions reading "World Honeybee Day" and "Slovenia 2018" with the twelve stars of the EU flag engraved on the edge, the government has said.
The Finance Ministry must still gain approval for the proposed coin design from the Council of the EU.
At the beginning of July, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) unanimously backed Slovenia's initiative for the UN to declare 20 May World Honey Bee Day. The final decision on the topic will be taken in December by the UN General Assembly.
The initiative to declare 20 May World Honeybee Day, which got under way in 2014, aims to reaffirm the significance of the honeybee to humanity. According to Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan, apiculture is an area in which Slovenia thrives.
The Agriculture Ministry and Education Ministry are currently joining forces to establish an international apiculture education centre in a bid to gain interest for Slovenia's expertise in the area from other countries.