A ceremony was held in Tbilisi to award Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with Georgia's highest state award — the Order of the Golden Fleece, according to the press service of the Uzbek leader.

The high honor was presented by Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili “for his enormous contribution to deepening multifaceted Uzbek-Georgian relations.”

“I expressed gratitude to President Mirziyoyev for his consistent support of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the policy of non-recognition [of breakaway regions], and presented him with the Georgian state award — the Order of the Golden Fleece — for his contribution to the development of bilateral relations,” the Georgian president wrote on his Facebook page.

Accepting the award, Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed gratitude to Mikheil Kavelashvili, as well as to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. He wished the Georgian people peace, prosperity, and progress.

The Order of the Golden Fleece was established in 1998 and is one of Georgia's highest state awards. It is conferred for special services in strengthening ties with foreign states and international organizations, as well as for contributions to promoting Georgian culture, science, and art.

The name of the award is linked to the ancient Greek myth of the Golden Fleece and the historical region of Colchis on the territory of modern Georgia.

Over the years, the Order of the Golden Fleece has been awarded to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Abdullah II of Jordan, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, and others.

As part of the visit, Shavkat Mirziyoyev made an entry in the Book of Honorary Guests at the Orbeliani Palace.

Source: www.gazeta.uz