Vladimir Putin signed the order ”On commending Jean Blankoff and Emmanuel Waegemans“ in which he thanked the Honourable Professor of the Free University of Brussels and member of the Royal Archeology Academy of Belgium, Jean Blankoff, and the Chairman of the Faculty of Slavic Philology at the Leuven Catholic University, Emmanuel Waegemans, for their contribution to the development and strengthening of Russian-Belgian cultural ties.
Vladimir Putin also awarded a Friendship Award to the Director of the Jef Denyn Royal School of Carillon, Joseph Haazen, and a Pushkin Medal to the artist and sculptor Charles Delporte, to the General Director of the Royal Library of Belgium, Patrick Lefevre, and to the monumental sculptor Olivier Strebelle.