Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has received the Legion of Honour, one of France’s highest national awards, by a decree of President Emmanuel Macron.

The award was presented by French Prime Minister Sébastien Le Corneille in recognition of Papikyan’s contributions to Armenia-France relations. The Legion of Honour consists of five ranks, although Papikyan’s specific rank was not disclosed.

While the three ranks of the Legion of Honour are given based on merit, the grand officers and grand crosses are in a separate category, attributed as a diplomatic gesture at the discretion of the Grand Master of the Legion of Honour,  the French president.