Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Maxim Kramarenko, head of the Institute of Eurasian Politics in Kazakhstan, with the Dostyk Order for his contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Award ceremony
Receiving the Dostyk Order, Kramarenko thanked Putin and noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the first congress of Russian compatriots, which the Russian president opened.
"For us, Russian compatriots abroad, Russia, which has strengthened as an influential player on the international arena, has been a reliable support in preserving our civilizational identity," Kramarenko said.
Interaction with the diaspora
According to him, it was then that effective interaction between Russia and the foreign diaspora began to develop.
"This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the second congress of Russian compatriots, which created the World Coordinating Council, which has become an effective mechanism for consolidating the diaspora abroad and representing the interests of Russian compatriots in Russian state bodies," Kramarenko said.
Other awards
Representatives of Armenia and Kyrgyzstan were also awarded the Dostyk Order. The representative of Belarus received the Pushkin Medal.