Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Pham Xuan Son honoured Mikhail Leontievich Titarenko, one of the eminent Russian scholars in Oriental studies, with a Friendship Order by President Truong Tan Sang at a ceremony celebrating his 80th birthday in Moscow on April 28.

Under the helm of Titarenko since 1985, the Far East Division under the Russian Academy of Sciences has been listed among the top research centres for Far East and Asia development issues.

The division comprises various Asia research units, including the Vietnam and ASEAN Research Centre which has played a constructive part in forging science cooperation with Vietnamese agencies concerned.
For the past 20 years, Titarenko has been a foremost expert on China and the Far East at Russia ’s top decision-making bodies.

He authored over 300 academic publications, including 12 specialised materials for reference.-VNA