Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to award the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s highest award, to his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, who turns 70 on Friday.
The Belarusian leader was awarded “for outstanding achievements in developing the allied relationship and strategic partnership” between Russia and Belarus as well as “for boosting friendly ties between the Russian and Belarusian peoples,” the Kremlin said on its website. Lukashenko’s major personal contribution to the establishing and effective functioning of the Union State was also emphasized.
In his telegram, Putin said that his good, friendly relations with Lukashenko had stood the test of time. “And of course, I am confident that we will continue doing our best to strengthen the fruitful cooperation between Russia and Belarus,” the Russian leader added.
Putin and Lukashenko enjoy a strong friendship, the Kremlin has said. The two leaders meet often and they hold telephone conversations on a regular basis. Both of them excel in protecting the interests of their countries, which enables them to protect the interests of the Union State as well, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has noted.
Source: TASS
