The Kremlin press service reported that on July 19, 2012, King Juan Carlos I of Spain received the State Prize of the Russian Federation for outstanding achievements in the field of humanitarian work.
The Spanish king has a long history of humanitarian work as chairman of the World Wildlife Fund. The award in the form of a badge of honor and a diploma of the laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation was presented to him during a ceremony in the Kremlin by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian President made a fiery speech in which he listed all the services of the King of Spain to our State in promoting moral and humanistic ideals. Calling Juan Carlos I a dear guest and a true friend, he invited him to visit a friendly state more often.
In turn, the King of Spain expressed condolences to Russian families affected by the floods in the Kuban. He also said that most of the prize he received will be used to restore the temples of one of the Spanish cities of Lorca, destroyed by the earthquake.
In addition, Juan Carlos focused his attention on the effective development of friendly relations between our peoples and expressed hope for their further strengthening. The solemn official part ended with communication between the two leaders in the format of a bilateral meeting, at which not only political, but also important economic relations between Spain and Russia were discussed.
An equally intense dialogue took place between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Juan Carlos I. The issue of facilitating the visa regime between the countries and trade and economic relations were discussed. The Prime Minister congratulated the Spanish people, represented by the King, on a fantastic victory in the football championship. "Red Fury" has once again achieved the title of champion of the continent.
The monarch of the Spanish state expressed great gratitude for the hospitable visit. He also wished that Russian-Spanish cooperation would continue in the future.
