Key Takeaways
- The Order of St Andrew is Russia’s most prestigious state decoration, awarded for extraordinary service to the state.
- Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, received the Order of St Andrew from President Vladimir Putin, a recognition of collective efforts in foreign policy.
- The Order of St Andrew is a symbol of Russia’s commitment to extraordinary service to the state and a recognition of collective efforts in foreign policy.
Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has received one of the country’s highest honours, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, from President Vladimir Putin in a Kremlin ceremony.
Lavrov said he regarded the award not as a personal accolade, but as a recognition of the collective efforts of Russia’s diplomatic corps.
“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, it is a tremendous honour for me to receive this award from your hands and to hear the words with which you preceded it. I don’t want to sound formal, but I’ll say from the bottom of my heart: I perceive your decision as an evaluation of the work of our entire team in implementing the tasks you set in foreign policy,” Lavrov said during the presentation.
Lavrov added that he believed the honour would serve as encouragement for his colleagues to continue their work amid growing geopolitical pressure.
He referred to the current state of international affairs as one marked by stark polarisation. “Where, without exaggeration, a battle between good and evil is taking place,” he said.
Sergey Lavrov has served as foreign minister since 2004, making him one of Russia’s longest-standing senior officials. He has played a crucial role in shaping the country’s foreign policy under President Putin’s leadership, particularly during high international tension, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Order of St Andrew, first established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698, is Russia’s most prestigious state decoration, awarded for extraordinary service to the state. Its recipients include figures from politics, science, and the military.
