Putin awards Uzbek diplomat with the Order of Friendship

On October 8, during the CIS Heads of State Council meeting, attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Deputy Secretary General of the CIS and Uzbek diplomat, Ilhom Toychievich Nematov, was awarded the Order of "Drujba" ("Friendship") of the Russian Federation. This announcement was made by the President's press secretary, Sherzod Asadov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Nematov's significant contributions to the development of the CIS and his role in strengthening relations between countries, particularly during his tenure as Uzbekistan's ambassador to Russia, as he presented the award.

Ilhom Nematov, born in 1952 in the Namangan region, is a graduate of the Fergana Polytechnic Institute (1973) and holds a degree in economic sciences.

In his diplomatic career, Nematov has held numerous roles, including head of department at the consulate (1992-93), embassy positions in Germany, and various roles within Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council. He served as Uzbekistan's ambassador to India (1997-99), first deputy minister of foreign affairs (1999-2008), ambassador to Russia (2008-10), and ambassador to the USA (2010-13). From 2013 to 2016, he took on roles such as an advisor for GM Uzbekistan and a special assignments ambassador.

In 2018, Nematov became First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs but was demoted to Deputy Minister in 2020. Since January 1, 2021, he has been serving as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the CIS, a position confirmed at the May 2021 CIS Heads of Government Council meeting in Minsk.