The awards were presented for the recipients’ great contribution to expanding friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation and to the development of economic, scientific and cultural ties.
The Order of Friendship was awarded to two chess players — Viswanathan Anand (India) and Boris Gelfand (Israel); to Deputy Chairman of the Lvov branch of the public organisation Ukrainian Anti-Fascism Committee Timofei Makhonyok; National Archives of Finland Director General Jussi Nuorteva, Chairman of the Finland-Russia Friendship Society Heikki Talvitie and the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Penang State (Malaysia) Teoh Seng Lee.
The Pushkin Medal was awarded to the Director of the Russian Ballet and Dance Academy in South Africa Slou Akimguereeva (Senegal), Archpriest, Rector of the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Canada Dmitry Sever and piano player at the National Concert Music Centre of Cuba Francisco Fernandez Tamayo.