ɔnðɪ ᵻvˈɛnt ʌv hɪz ˈeɪɾiəθ bˈɜːθdeɪ ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː, kˈɑːnənˌɑːv ɹᵻsˈiːvd pˈɜːsənəl ɡɹˈiːɾɪŋz fɹʌmðə ɹˈʌʃən pɹˈɛzɪdənt, dᵻlˈɪvɚd æɾə sˈɛɹᵻməni hˈɛld ɪnðə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɛmbəsi ɪn ɹˈiːɡə.
On the event of his 80th birthday in 2003, Kononov received personal greetings from the Russian President, delivered at a ceremony held in the Russian Embassy in Riga.