Dr. Nassos A. Lazaridis, Valin Steel´s Deputy General Manager obtained International Friendship Award

Hunan Valin Steel Co., Ltd. received the notification from State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs that thanks to the excellent achievements made by Dr. Nassos A. Lazaridis, Valin Steel's Deputy General Manager, as recommended by Valin Steel, reviewed by relevant departments and approved by State Council, Dr. Lazaridis has been honored with "2009 Friendship Award". Dr. Lazaridis with US nationality is ArcelorMittal's senior executive resident in Valin Steel.

Since his work at Valin in 2006, Dr. Lazaridis has actively facilitated the platform for technical exchanges between Valin and ArcelorMittal, and organized ArcelorMittal's experts to visit Valin for technical guidance and joint experiments, which have improved Valin's capabilities of developing new plates and long products by resolving technological difficulties in new heavy plate R&D, large coil production, new CSP product development, oil pipe development, etc. He has also contributed to the synergetic efforts with Valin to successfully develop high-strength ship-building F40, cold rolled electrical steel, free cutting steel and CSP high-strength steel, as well as ArcelorMittal's technological transfer to Valin in terms of auto sheet and electrical steel based on Valin's "11th Five-Year Plan". Dr. Lazaridis was also elected as 2008 Olympic torch runner and honoured with 4th Hunan Provincial Friendship Award.

On Sept. 29th 2009, Dr. Lazaridis as Friendship Award winner was invited to Beijing to attend the award ceremony and national reception attended by the national leaders. On October 1st, the awarded winners attended the National Day parade in Tian'anmen Square along with the evening celebrations and fireworks.

Photo: Dr. Lazaridis received the award from Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang.