The Democritus University of Thrace has awarded its gold medal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, for ‘’the important activity he has undertaken to benefit regional stability and prosperity.»

The announcement of the award was made by the Russian Embassy in Athens.

The rector of the university, Stavros Toupoulidis, stated at the ceremony, which took place at the Russian Embassy, that the Russian president has contributed unswervingly to maintaining the Orthodox spirit of peace and friendship and to developing mutually beneficial relations between Greece and Russia.

Russian Ambassador to Athens Andrei Maslov expressed his gratitude, stressing the great contribution of the Democritus University of Thrace to the development of Greece-Russia relations in the area of the humanities, and in promoting Russian language and culture.

This will contribute, the Russian envoy said, to the operation of a Russian studies centre at the university, in cooperation with the ‘’Russian World Foundation’’, which will be inaugurate in 2018.