Russia's Lavrov Awards Venezuelan Foreign Minister With Order of Friendship

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has awarded his Venezuelan counterpart, Carlos Faria Tortosa, with the Order of Friendship for special contribution to the development of relations between the two countries, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday.

"I would like to fulfill the honorable duty and, in accordance with the decree of the president of the Russian Federation, award you with the Order of Friendship for your special contribution to the development of relations between our countries," Lavrov said during a meeting at the UN General Assembly.

Russia and Venezuela have been having extremely good relations for decades, with Russian President Vladimir Putin praising the Latin American nation as a "reliable partner" while receiving credentials from Venezuelan Ambassador Jesus Salazar and 23 other foreign diplomats in Moscow on Tuesday.

The 77th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off on Tuesday. The main event — the general debate during which world leaders gather to discuss world issues — starts on September 20. The 77th high-level week of the UN General Assembly is the first in-person gathering of the body since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.