President Klaus receives Pushkin Medal

President Klaus has been awarded the Pushkin Medal for the promotion of Russian culture. The medal was bestowed on him by Russian President Vladimir Putin and was handed over by the Russian ambassador to Prague Alexei Fedotov at a special ceremony at Prague Castle on Thursday. The ambassador praised Mr. Klaus’ fluent Russian and the fact that he is always willing to negotiate in the language during his working visits to Moscow. The Pushkin Medal was established in 1999 by the former Russian president Boris Yeltsin to commemorate the 200 anniversary of Pushkin’s birth. It has been awarded to some 300 renowned personalities, including 30 foreigners.