The award took place during a ceremony held in the Kremlin, seat of
the Government of the Russian Federation, and was witnessed by senior
members of the government and other dignitaries.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia has bestowed the national honour of
“The Order of Friendship” on a Nigerian, Prof. Benedict Oramah,
President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
The award took place during a ceremony held in the Kremlin, seat of
the Government of the Russian Federation, and was witnessed by senior
members of the government and other dignitaries.
The Order of Friendship is a state decoration established by Boris
Yeltsin, the first president of the Russian Federation, and is awarded
to Russian and foreign nationals for special merit in strengthening
peace, friendship, cooperation and understanding between nations, for
fruitful work on the convergence and mutual enrichment of cultures of
nations and peoples.
It is also a recognition of "the active conservation, development, and
promotion of the cultural and historical heritage of Russia; great
contribution to the implementation of joint ventures with the Russian
Federation, major economic projects and attracting investments into
the economy of the Russian Federation; and broad charitable
activities".
The award to Oramah falls under the category of “Special merit in
strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and understanding between
nations, for fruitful work on the convergence and mutual enrichment of
cultures of nations and peoples”.
It is, specifically, in recognition of the role played by Afreximbank
revitalising trade and economic relations between Africa and Russia as
evident in the success of the Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum
held in Sochi, Russian Federation, from 23 to 24 October, as well as
the rapidly rising trade and investment relations between Russia and
Africa.
Also named as recipients of the Order of Friendship for 2019 were
Vice-President Rosario Murillo Zambrana of Nicaragua; William Craft
Brumfield, a U.S. citizen and professor of Slavic studies at Tulane
University; Professor Emeritus Rein Müllerson, an Estonian citizen and
international law researcher at Tallinn University; Nikos
Daskalandonakis, Russian Honorary Consul in Crete; and Armi Lopez
Garcia, Russian Honorary Consul in the Philippines.
Some previous winners of the honour include former U.S. Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson; former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad;
former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, among others.