This ceremony was held during Mr Zubkov's working visit to Germany.
It was attended by German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and leading German politicians and businessmen.
In his address of congratulations, First Deputy Prime Minister Zubkov said, in part:
"Mr Lothar de Maizière exemplifies devotion to his job, responsibility and ability to achieve great results in every field.
"Mr de Maizière, I appreciate your informal approach to and keen interest in the array of joint projects implemented in the framework of the Petersburg Dialogue, which we co-chair.
"This forum has proved its usefulness over the past years, becoming one of the symbols of trust and mutual understanding between our nations.
"The Petersburg Dialogue is continuously developing; we are searching for new platforms to exchange opinions on the most topical issues.
"It is gratifying that this forum is becoming younger, so-to-say, which is very important since the younger generation of Russians and Germans will shape the relations between our countries. The potential of our mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation is immense.
"It is symbolic that this anniversary falls on the year rich in milestone anniversaries in our mutual history, such as the 65th anniversary of victory over Nazism, the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Germany, the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries and the 10th anniversary of the Petersburg Dialogue."