Russia’s ambassador to Pakistan, Alexey Dedov, handed over Russian orders and medals to Pakistani servicemen, who took part in an operation to rescue a Russian mountain climber trapped on a largely inaccessible mountain slope in July.

The award ceremony took place in the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army, located in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad.

During the ceremony, Dedov handed over the Order of Friendship to four Pakistani pilots, who crewed rescue helicopters. Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed the award on them in September.

"Dear friends, I have no words to express my gratitude to Pakistani servicemen, who demonstrated their best qualities during the rescue operation," the Russian ambassador said in his address. "We are profoundly grateful to you for rescuing our climber Alexander Gukov."

"Your actions have once again demonstrated the friendship between Russia and Pakistan. This rescue operation helped us not only to come together at times of trouble, but also to gain a better understanding of each other," he added.

Other Pakistani servicemen, who took part in the rescue operation, received medals "For Courage in Rescue" and "For Cooperation in Rescue," as well as honorary certificates and letters of gratitude from the Russian Union of Rescuers and the Russian Mountain Climbing Federation.