Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who became the first-ever Indian PM to visit Papua New Guinea, has been conferred with the highest civilian award by the archipelago nation, as also Fiji, which has a sizeable population of Indian Diaspora.
PM Modi, who is attending the Third Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), was conferred with the “The Companion of the Order of Fiji” by his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka for the Indian statesman’s global leadership, in a rare honor for a non-Fijian.
“Big Honour for India. Prime Minister Modi has been conferred the highest honor of Fiji by the PM of Fiji, The Companion of the Order of Fiji, in recognition of his global leadership. Only a handful of Non-Fijians have received this honor to date,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in New Delhi.
M Modi dedicated the honor to the people of India and to the generations of the Fiji-Indian community, who have played a key role in the special and enduring bond between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Twitter.
Papua New Guinea conferred its highest civilian order, The Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL), on PM Modi for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and spearheading the cause of Global South. Very few non-residents of the island nation have received this award.
Earlier also, PM Modi has been conferred the highest civilian honors by several nations, including those in the Middle East. These recognitions are a reflection of his leadership and vision which has strengthened India’s emergence on the global stage. It also reflects India’s growing ties with countries around the world, an official report said.