Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 14 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, native of Turkmenabat, is the common pride of Turkmenistan and Russia in the field of space, Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Turkmenistan Igor Blatov said.
The Ambassador said this during the opening ceremony in Ashgabat dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of Space Exploration, local media reported.
The exposition, organized with the assistance of the Turkmen Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting, Foreign Ministry and the Russian embassy, was opened at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov awarded the Russian astronaut with the order "Star of the President" for personal bravery, professionalism and achievements in implementing the international program for peaceful space exploration in 2009.
Earlier, he was awarded with the name of Hero of Russia by Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev.