WATCH: PM Modi conferred with Fiji's highest honour for his global leadership, rare for a non-Fijian

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has been conferred Companion of the Order of Fiji (CF), the highest honour by the country, for his global leadership. The honour was bestowed to PM Modi by his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka on behalf of President Wiliame Katonivere. Prime Minister Modi is among the few non-Fijians to have received the prestigious honour till date. “Grateful to the people and Government of Fiji for conferring the Companion of the Order of Fiji on me. I thank PM  @slrabuka for presenting the award. It is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between India and Fiji."

Grateful to the people and Government of Fiji for conferring the Companion of the Order of Fiji on me. I thank PM @slrabuka for presenting the award. It is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between India and Fiji. pic.twitter.com/rhUPrE0Nvu

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a tweet also said that the Indian Prime Minister has dedicated the honour to the people of India and to the generations of Fiji-India community, who have played a key role in the special and enduring bond between the two countries.

Modi and Fiji PM Rabuka met on the sidelines of the Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) III Summit. During the meeting, both the leaders reviewed the close and multifaceted bilateral partnership. “(They) expressed satisfaction at the progress in key sectors. Also exchanged views on regional and global issues of common interest,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. [caption id=“attachment_12629942” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Modi meets Fijian PM Sitiveni Rabuka on the sidelines of the FIPIC III Summit. Twitter/@MEAIndia[/caption]   After meeting his Fijian counterpart, PM Modi tweeted: “Delighted to meet PM of Fiji. We had a great conversation on various topics. The relation between India and Fiji has stood the test of time. We look forward to working together to further cement it in the coming years.”

Delighted to meet PM @slrabuka of Fiji. We had a great conversation on various topics. The relation between India and Fiji has stood the test of time. We look forward to working together to further cement it in the coming years. pic.twitter.com/IfXKyWQMAM

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023

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What is Companion of the Order of Fiji that PM Modi was honoured with? The Companion of the Order of Fiji was instituted on March 8, 1995, by the former President of Fiji, Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda. The Fiji Honours System was established to promote national unity and to celebrate outstanding contributions made in service of the State. The Companion of the Order of Fiji is conferred upon citizens, or other foreigners by an Honorary Award, in recognition of eminent achievement or the highest degree of meritorious service to Fiji or humanity. The Order of Fiji has two versions - General and Military. The General version features a ribbon with two outer red stripes with a white stripe in the middle, while the Military version has an additional narrow red stripe down the centre white strip and crossed swords. Members of FIPIC The forum has 14 members. They are – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.