DUSHANBE, February 26, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has awarded Tajik President Emomali Rahmon the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a sash, according to Serbian President’s page on Facebook.

Tajik leader has been awarded the order for his “outstanding contribution to peaceful cooperation and friendship.”

Similar awards have been bestowed also on all other leaders of the former Soviet republics (with the exception of EU-members Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been awarded the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a big chain.

The Order of the Republic of Serbia is divided into two classes – the Order of the Republic of Serbia of the First Degree on a big chain and the Order of the Republic of Serbia of the Second Degree on a sash.