ULAANBAATAR, June 8. /TASS/. Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga has personally presented the highest state award, the Order of the Polar Star, to Russian Ambassador Iskander Azizov for the development of friendly relations between the two countries, the Russian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar announced on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

"In accordance with the decree by the president of Mongolia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in Ulaanbaatar Iskander Azizov has been awarded the highest state decoration, the Order of the Polar Star," the Embassy said. For his part, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission thanked the president and Mongolia’s Foreign Ministry for "appreciating his work to develop Russian-Mongolian cooperation, which has traditionally been friendly and good-neighborly." He also thanked the citizens of both countries for their congratulations.

During the ceremony, Mongolia’s president stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of infrastructure, Montsame News Agency reported.

Iskander Azizov has been in charge of the embassy since 2013.