In appreciation of the enduring friendship and cooperation extended to the people of Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake conferred the prestigious Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana Award, the highest award to a foreign head of state, on Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The President presented the award to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi following an official meeting held today (05) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The meeting took place as part of Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to Sri Lanka, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
In a joint press statement alongside PM Modi, Dissanayake said, “I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer upon him (PM Narendra Modi) the highest Sri Lankan honour to a foreign head of state/head of government- Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana. This prestigious honour, which was introduced in 2008, is conferred upon heads of states and government for their friendship, and honourable Prime Minister Modi highly deserves this honour; that is what we firmly believe.”
Prime Minister Modi thanked President Dissanayake and said the honour is a “great matter of pride”.
“This honour is not just mine but it belongs to the 140 crore people of India. It is a tribute to the historic and deep friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka. For this recognition, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Sri Lanka, President Dissanayake, and the people of this nation,” Modi said, while addressing a press meet following the talks,” Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit highlights the shared commitment to the theme “Friendship of Centuries – Commitment to a Prosperous Future,” reaffirming the partnership between Sri Lanka and India.
Leave a comment