Cyprus presents one of its highest civilian honours to PM Modi
Cyprus on Monday awarded the Order of Makarios III, one of the country's highest civilian honours, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the award as a symbol of peace, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodulides conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, the second highest of six grades of the award, on Modi at an official ceremony on the second day of his visit to the Mediterranean country. Modi dedicated the award to the friendship between the two countries.
'I dedicate this award to friendly ties, shared values and mutual understanding between India and Cyprus,' he said, speaking in Hindi. 'This award is a symbol of peace, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity and our unbreakable commitment to our peoples' prosperity.'
Modi said he believed the active partnership between India and Cyprus will touch new heights in the coming days. 'We will not only jointly strengthen the progress of our countries but will work together to build a peaceful and secure global environment,' he said. He said the award is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians and their aspirations, and thanked Christodulides and the government and people of Cyprus.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post: 'The honour reflects the enduring India-Cyprus bilateral partnership and shared commitment to work together for the common vision for peace, progress and prosperity.'
Notable recipients of the Order of Makarios III, named after the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, include former president Pranab Mukherjee, King Abdullah II of Jordan, former German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
Modi has received state honours from close to 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia's Order of King Abdul Aziz, the Order of the State of Palestine, the UAE's Order of Zayed, the Order of Fiji, and Egypt's Order of the Nile.
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