President receives highest honor from Uzbek leader

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hailed President Xi Jinping as "the greatest statesman and an outstanding leader in the contemporary world" as he conferred the nation's highest honor on Xi during a ceremony on Thursday.

Xi became the first person to receive the Order of Friendship, the highest honor that the nation confers on a foreigner, during a ceremony held at the International Conference Center in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Mirziyoyev commended the major contributions made by Xi in enhancing bilateral friendship, consolidating mutual trust and deepening bilateral cooperation.

Xi is the well-deserved core of the Communist Party of China and core of the whole Chinese people, he said.

The Uzbek leader expressed his belief that under Xi's strong leadership, China will enjoy an even brighter future.

He said the bilateral relations under Xi's leadership have been full of vigor and reached an unprecedented height.

Xi said that the conferring of the honor on him showcased the strong priority that Uzbekistan has given to bilateral relations and the strong emotional attachment that the Uzbek people have for the Chinese people.

The medal was the second honor that Xi received during his three-day trip to Central Asia beginning on Wednesday. He was awarded the Order of the Golden Eagle, the highest honor of Kazakhstan, on Wednesday.

Xu Wei