WATCH: PM Modi conferred with Trinidad and Tobago’s highest civilian honour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Trinidad and Tobago’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago’, on Friday.

According to a PTI report, PM Modi, currently on a two-day visit to the Caribbean island nation as part of his five-nation tour, received the honour in recognition of his global leadership, strong ties with the Indian diaspora, and humanitarian contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“…This award reflects the eternal and deep friendship between our countries. I accept this honour as a collective pride on behalf of 140 crore people of India. To confer this award upon the first foreign leader reflects our deep relationship, which is based on common history and culture…,” said PM Modi.

Trinidad and Tobago’s President Christine Kangaloo expressed deep appreciation for PM Modi as he was conferred with the country’s highest civilian honour.

“Trinidad and Tobago is immensely glad to have been able to bestow upon you our nation’s highest honour in recognition of the tremendous work that you have done with our nation over the years and for the kindness and the generosity which you have always shown to our country and indeed our region. Your kindness and generosity to the people of Trinidad and Tobago are legendary. They have been shown time and time again, including as we have heard during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, when 40 thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Trinidad as a result of your personal intervention and action. That act of kindness only further strengthened the longstanding relationship between the two countries,” Kangaloo said.

The award was announced by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Thursday, who described PM Modi’s visit as a moment of shared pride and historical connection.

Shortly after receiving the award, PM Modi headed for a bilateral meeting with Trinidad and Tobago’s President, Christine Kangaloo, in Port of Spain.

This is PM Modi’s first visit to the country as prime minister and the first Indian bilateral visit at the prime ministerial level to Trinidad and Tobago since 1999.

PM Modi arrived here from Ghana, where he was conferred with ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country’s national honour.

The award was conferred on the prime minister in recognition of his “distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

With inputs from agencies