ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday honored Kurdish scholar Dr. Rashad Miran during a ceremony in Moscow commemorating National Unity Day.
Putin honored contributions of outstanding Russians during the event in science, culture, humanitarian and other fields.
Miran is the first Kurd to receive the Pushkin Medal, an award named after Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. It has been presented since 1999 to personalities who have made significant contributions to research, preservation, and promotion of Russian culture in the fields of culture, arts, and humanities.
The Kurdish scholar, a sociology expert who has played a prominent role in Kurdistan's political movement, referred in his speech to the "long-standing and strong relations" between Kurdistan and Russia, where he himself as an ethnographer has always been a supporter and collaborator.
“Between Kurdistan and the Russian Federation, there are long-standing and solid relations. From my side, I have always supported these relations and confirmed my participation in the friendship between both sides,” Miran said during a speech at the event.