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New Delhi, Delhi, India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Order of St Andrew, Russiaâs highest state honour, on Friday.
In a statement, Russia said that the PM has been honoured for exceptional services in further improving ties between both countries.
âOn April 12, 2019, Indian PM Narendra Modi was decorated with Order of St Andrew the Apostle-highest state decoration of Russia -for exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russian and India,â official Twitter account of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India tweeted.
On April 12, @narendramodi was decorated with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle for exceptional services in promoting special & privileged strategic partnership between ?? and ?? and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples.@mfa_russia @MEAIndia @IndEmbMoscow pic.twitter.com/jUFt5aawxw
â Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) April 12, 2019
PM Modi thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was "honoured to receive this prestigious award".
President Putin remains a source of great strength for the India-Russia friendship.
Under his visionary leadership, bilateral and multilateral cooperation between our nations has scaled new heights.
â Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2019
PM Narendra Modi has expressed his faith in the bright future of Indo-Russia partnership and the deep foundations of the countries. He has also attributed the favourable outcome for their respective citizens to the two nationsâ extensive cooperation.
'The Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called' is the highest order of the Russian Federation.
Established as the first and highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire in 1698, it was abolished under the USSR before being re-established as the top Russian order in 1998.
Other recipients of the award in include Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Russian President Putin and PM Narendra Modi have spoken two times this year.
First on January 1 on the occasion of New Year and on February 27 to in which President Putin expressed his deep condolences on the Pulwama terrorist attack. A second informal summit between India and Russia is expected to happen this year. The first happened last year in Sochi, Russia.
In 2018, Russian President and PM Narendra Modi met twice, first for the famous informal summit in Sochi, then for the annual summit in Delhi in which S400 deal was signed.
The development comes days after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) awarded The Zayed Medal, the highest civilian award of the country.
This is the seventh international award that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with.
PM Modi has been conferred with the highest civilian award of Saudi Arabia the King Abdulaziz Sash( 2016), Afghanistan's highest civilian honour, the Amir Amanullah Khan Award (2016), Grand Collar of the State of Palestine which is is the Highest order given to foreign dignitaries (2018), UN's highest environmental honour â Champions of the Earth award (2018) & 2018 Seoul Peace Prize.
(With inputs from agencies)