PM Modi To Receive Russia’s Highest Civilian Award

In what can be called positive signs for New Delhi-Moscow relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to receive Russia’s highest award next week. PM Modi will be in Russia’s Vladivostok from September 4 to 5 to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. He will hold the annual summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin who will bestow him with the “Order of the St Andrew the Apostle” award.

Earlier in April this year, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India tweeted, “On 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.”

A Russian official said the ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.

Before PM Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping was the last foreign leader who got this award in 2018, Deccan Herald reported.

Earlier, PM Modi was honoured with the ‘Order of Zayed’ the UAE’s highest civilian award, as a mark of appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two nations.

Moreover, in the backdrop of Kashmir tensions, Russia backed Modi government’s move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir saying, “Change in the status of the state of J&K and its division into two union territories are carried out within framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India.”

Russian foreign ministry had said that Moscow is a consistent supporter of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. And it hopes that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis.

Source: News Nation

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