MOSCOW, June 29. /Dunyo IA/. A solemn commissioning and graduation ceremony for the alumni of two premier higher educational institutions of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations was hosted on Red Square in Moscow, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Ceremony brought together approximately one thousand officer cadets, civil defines students and senior listeners from the State Fire Service Academy and the Civil Defence Academy of EMERCOM.

Diplomas of higher education were awarded to 950 specialists. These included 339 graduates commissioned with their first officer rank, 48 master’s degree recipients, 204 civilian students and 73 representatives of fire and rescue services from 11 friendly nations, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Abkhazia, Mongolia, Vietnam and other countries.

This year, the highest academic accolade - gold medal for exceptional academic excellence — was conferred upon 35 graduates.

Among the top-performing master’s graduates of the Civil Defence Academy of the EMERCOM of Russia, two officers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, Major Sardor Rakhimbaev and Captain Akmal Yarbekov, were highly commended. They graduated with honours (Red Diplomas) and were also awarded gold medals for exceptional academic excellence.

Head of the EMERCOM of Russia Aleksandr Kurenkov, personally congratulated the young specialists and expressed special gratitude to the faculty and veterans of the agency.

“Your knowledge and support have helped nurture a young generation that will honourably carry on the glorious traditions of the EMERCOM of Russia. You make a significant contribution to shaping the character, as well as the professional and moral qualities of the graduates”, - Minister emphasized.