(JTA) — European Jewish Congress President Dr. Moshe Kantor was awarded Romania’s highest civilian honor.

Kantor was presented with the country’s Grand Cross of the National Order For Merit Award on Tuesday by Romanian President Traian Basescu at the Presidential Palace in Bucharest.

The award was presented as a ”symbol of appreciation for Dr. Moshe Kantor’s moral and professional contribution to tolerance, reconciliation and peace in Europe which he has demonstrated throughout his life, for his strong contribution in preserving Jewish heritage and dialogue between faiths and ethnic groups, as well as contributing to Romanian-Israeli relations,” the European Jewish Congress said in a statement.

Kantor and a delegation from the European Jewish Congress, comprised of leaders of affiliated European Jewish communities, attended private meetings on Tuesday with Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta to discuss issues of concern to the European Jewish community.

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