Lukashenko, Putin to hold bilateral meeting in Moscow today
The presidents of Belarus and Russia, Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, plan to hold a bilateral meeting in Moscow today, BelTA reports
The heads of state are expected to discuss topical issues of further development of Russian-Belarusian relations of strategic co-operation and alliance, focusing on integration liaisons within the Union State.
As previously reported by the Russian leader’s press service, a solemn ceremony of presenting Russia’s highest state award – the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called – to the President of Belarus will also take place.
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called – the highest state order of the Russian Federation (the first order and the highest award in the Russian Empire) – was established in late 17th century by Peter the Great in honour of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. In total, more than 1,000 people received the award before 1917.
After the October Revolution, the order – like all other awards of the Russian Empire – was abolished. However, in 1998, the Russian President’s decree restored it as the highest state award. According to the statute, it can be conferred to outstanding statesmen, public figures and other citizens of the Russian Federation for ‘exceptional services that contribute to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia’, as well as to foreign heads of state and government for ‘outstanding services to the Russian Federation’.
A total of 26 people have been awarded the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called since 1998, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as former leaders of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Heydar Aliyev and Nursultan Nazarbayev.
