Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday awarded Ethiopia’s highest award “The Great Honor of Ethiopia Nishan” by his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali.
The award was presented to Prime Minister Modi during a special ceremony held at the Addis International Convention Center on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi received the award for his outstanding contribution to strengthening the India-Ethiopia partnership and for his visionary leadership as a global statesman, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Modi is the first global Head of State/Prime Minister to receive this award.
“I am honored to be awarded the ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’.” I dedicate this to the 140 million people of India,” Modi wrote on X.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi remarked that he was honored to receive the award from one of the world’s oldest civilizations and did so with a deep sense of humility and gratitude, the statement said.
“…I also express my sincere gratitude to my friend Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Last month, when we met during the G20 summit in South Africa, with great love and right, you urged me to visit Ethiopia. How could I refuse this invitation from my friend, my brother? So at the first opportunity, I decided to come to Ethiopia,” Modi said.
PM Modi also expressed his sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy and the people of Ethiopia for this honour.
He also expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Abiy’s leadership and his initiatives to promote national unity, sustainability and inclusive development, the statement said.
Emphasizing the importance of knowledge for nation building, Prime Minister Modi said it has been a privilege for Indian teachers to contribute to the progress and development of Ethiopia for more than a century.
“We in India have always believed… Education is the cornerstone of any country. I am proud that our teachers have contributed the most in Ethiopia-India relations,” he said.
“…Together with Ethiopia, we are committed to fostering such partnerships that can bring solutions to evolving global challenges and create new opportunities.”
Modi dedicated the award to all – Indians and Ethiopians – who have nurtured bilateral relations for ages and expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians for being conferred with this honour, the statement said.
The awarding of the award marks a milestone in the close partnership between India and Ethiopia and in advancing the positive agenda of the Global South.
