PM Narendra Modi conferred highest honor of Fiji
What's the story
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest honor of Fiji on Monday. He was officially honored with "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" in recognition of his global leadership. The honor, which has been received by only a handful of non-Fijians to date, was presented to Modi by his Fiji counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Modi arrived in Papua New Guinea on his maiden visit to the country—the first-ever by an Indian PM—on Sunday as part of his three-nation tour to host a key summit between India and 14 other Pacific Island nations to boost ties. Interestingly, Papua New Guinean PM James Marape personally received Modi and touched his feet, after which the latter was accorded a ceremonial welcome.
Details
Big honor for India, says PMO
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said, "Big Honor for India. Prime Minister Modi has been conferred the highest honor of Fiji by the PM of Fiji: Companion of the Order of Fiji in recognition of his global leadership (sic)." "Only a handful of Non-Fijians have received this honor to date," the release added.
Twitter Post
Visuals of Modi being conferred highest honor of Fiji
PM @narendramodi has been conferred the highest honour of Fiji, the Companion of the Order of Fiji. It was presented to him by PM @slrabuka. pic.twitter.com/XojxUIKLNm
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 22, 2023
Know more
Papua New Guinea also honors Modi with prestigious accolade
Papua New Guinea also honored the Indian PM with the "Companion of the Order of Logohu" in recognition of his support for Pacific Island nations' unification and leadership in the Global South. It is also worth noting that this prestigious accolade is rarely given to non-residents, with former United States President Bill Clinton being one of the few notable recipients.
More details
Know who Modi dedicated his honor to
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Modi dedicated the honor to the generations of the Fiji-Indian community and the people of India for their significant role in the special bond between the two nations. "Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae of Papua New Guinea conferred PM Modi with country's highest civilian award, Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (sic)," he tweeted.
Twitter Post
Bagchi's post on Twitter
An honour emblematic of depth of 🇮🇳-🇵🇬 relationship.
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 22, 2023
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae of Papua New Guinea conferred PM @narendramodi with country's highest civilian award, Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL). pic.twitter.com/CZGnfcd44e
Further information
Details on Modi's address at FIPIC Summit
Earlier in the day, Modi co-hosted the third edition of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. Speaking at the summit, PM Modi stated, "India is proud to be your development partner. You can count on India as a reliable partner." "We are ready to share our experiences and capabilities with you without hesitation," he was quoted as saying by News18.