Brasilia: Brazil conferred its highest honour, the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing State Visit to the country on Tuesday.
The award was the 26th global honour for PM Modi and the third on his current five-nation visit, which kicked off on July 2.
Prime Minister Modi on Friday became the first foreign leader to be conferred with ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago’, the highest civilian award of the Caribbean nation, during his two-day visit to Port of Spain.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamala Persad Bissessar, while delivering glowing praise for the Indian PM, mentioned that the honour is being bestowed in recognition of his global leadership, deep ties with the Indian diaspora, and his humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi was conferred the ‘Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country’s national honour in recognition of his “distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership” by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Accra, just before arriving in Trinidad.
The awards, analysts reckoned, underline PM Modi’s unmatched stature – no Prime Minister of India has ever had such a profound global impact, they assert, as a global statesman who remains committed to regional peace, development, and spiritual diplomacy.
“For the first time, India’s foreign policy is unapologetically ‘India First’ – clear-headed, confident, and consistent. The world is not just watching; it is acknowledging and respecting this new India,” a former diplomat had opined.
In June, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides conferred upon Prime Minister Modi Cyprus’s honour – the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III – at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.
Earlier this year, Mauritius and Sri Lanka conferred their highest civilian honours upon PM Modi.
In April, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake conferred Prime Minister Modi with ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’, the island nation’s highest civilian honour for Heads of State and Government in a grand recognition of the Indian leader’s efforts to strengthen the ties between the two neighbouring nations.
The conferring of the award was regarded as a powerful symbol of shared destinies, spiritual kinship, and a vision for progress rooted in mutual respect and trust between the two countries.
In March, during the National Day celebrations in Port Louis, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool also conferred the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean’ (GCSK) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi. This was the first time that an Indian leader received the honour.
On Tuesday, PM Modi was given a warm welcome by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia as he began a State Visit to the country following his participation in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
After the special ceremonial welcome, which featured 114 horses escorting PM Modi’s car, with military honours and introduction of delegates, both leaders proceeded for a meeting in a restricted format that will be followed by delegation-level talks.
A signing ceremony on various agreements will be held and followed by leaders’ statements to the press. PM Modi will then be honoured with a State Lunch at the Alvorada Palace.
(IANS)
