A ceremony was held to award President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev the Order of Manas, First Class, as reported by the press service of the Uzbek leader.

The high state award of Kyrgyzstan was presented by President Sadyr Japarov, symbolizing the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

The Uzbek leader expressed deep gratitude to the president and people of fraternal Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing that he accepts this award as a high recognition of joint efforts to strengthen centuries-old ties of friendship and good neighborliness, as well as shared aspirations to elevate Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan relations to a new historical stage — the level of alliance.

Established in 1996, the Order of Manas is one of Kyrgyzstan's highest state awards. It is conferred upon citizens of the republic and foreign nationals for outstanding contributions to strengthening statehood and international cooperation, as well as promoting peace, friendship, and mutual understanding among peoples.

Source: www.gazeta.uz