OREANDA-NEWS. On 01 June 2009 was announced, that Aras Agalarov, President Crocus Group, had been granted the highest award of the country - Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (OMRI) for considerable contribution to the history of economic relations between Russia and Italy. The head of the award council is the president of Italy, and in different years the first president of Russia Boris Yeltsin, businessmen Vagit Alekperov and Michael Pogosjan, directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Jury Ljubimov were granted the award.

The award was presented in the embassy of Italy, the ambassador Vittorio Claudio Surdo with the spouse have personally presented the sash to Mr. Agalarov. The family of the order bearer, members of the Russian Government and artists were among invited to the awarding ceremony.