The following is the congratulatory message addressed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic to Ambassador Ivan Mrkic, after the announcement that Emperor Akihito of Japan had conferred the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on Ambassador Mrkic:

"It is with great joy and a sense of pride that I received the news that Emperor Akihito of Japan had recently awarded you the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the highest Japanese decoration that a foreign national can receive in Japan for outstanding services.

This decoration is beyond any doubt an important and well-deserved acknowledgement of your highly professional and committed work on the enhancement of relations between Serbia and Japan, a country that you have grown to know so well, that you have kept abreast of and that you have certainly fallen in love with.

The entire Serbian Foreign Service prides itself on the Order awarded to you. This decoration sets a good example to the future generations of Serbian diplomats, and encourages future work on the advancement of the friendly relations and overall cooperation between Serbia and Japan.

Once again, please accept my sincere congratulations, along with my wishes for every success in your life and career".