Narendra Modi Becomes Indian PM With Most International Honours
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the most internationally decorated Indian PM in office. During his recent visit to Cyprus, he was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III - the nation's highest civilian honour.
After accepting the honour on June 16, PM Modi shared on X (formerly Twitter), "Humbled to receive the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III' of Cyprus. I dedicate it to the friendship between our nations."
Humbled to receive the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III' of Cyprus. I dedicate it to the friendship between our nations. https://t.co/x4MX3UZbtW
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2025
The Cyprus visit was part of his three-nation tour, with his next stop being Canada for the G7 Summit and then Croatia.
The latest award from Cyprus takes PM Modi's tally to 28 international honours received from foreign governments during his tenure, a record unmatched by any of his predecessors. The awards acknowledge his leadership and efforts in strengthening bilateral and multilateral ties globally.
Former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh were each recipients of two such international distinctions during their time in office.
Over the years, PM Modi has been honoured by countries across regions - from the Middle East to Europe and Africa. Among the notable recognitions are the Order of King Abdulaziz from Saudi Arabia and the Order of Amanullah Khan from Afghanistan, both conferred in 2016. In 2018, he received the Order of the State of Palestine, followed by the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin from the Maldives in 2019 and the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance from Bahrain later that year.
In 2023, he was honoured with Egypt's Order of the Nile and France's Legion d'Honneur. The momentum continued into 2024 when he received six international awards. So far, in 2025, he has received three honours.
His ongoing three-nation visit is PM Modi's first since Operation Sindoor in May when India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack. The four-day conflict ended on May 10 following a ceasefire.
Prime Minister Modi's visit to Cyprus is the first by an Indian leader in over two decades. It comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The visit also carries weight given Cyprus's uneasy ties with Turkey - a country that, along with China, backed Pakistan during the recent hostilities with India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Melodi moment: PM Modi meets Meloni at G7 in Canada; both leaders reaffirm growing ties
Picture: X/Georgia Meloni Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met informally during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The two leaders greeted each other with a handshake and held a short conversation. After their meeting, Meloni posted on X, 'Italy and India, linked by a great friendship.' — GiorgiaMeloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) In response, PM Modi wrote, 'Fully agree with you, PM Giorgia Meloni. India's friendship with Italy will continue to get stronger, greatly benefitting our people!' Their friendly exchanges have regularly drawn public attention. At the COP28 summit in Dubai, Meloni posted a selfie with Modi, captioned 'Good friends at COP28, #Melodi.' Similar interactions during the G20 summit in India went viral, with social media users editing videos of the two leaders with Bollywood music and captions. Earlier in the day, PM Modi arrived at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge to attend the high-level meeting. He was welcomed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and received a ceremonial reception at Calgary airport. This marks PM Modi's sixth straight appearance at the G7 Summit and his first visit to Canada in ten years. The Canada visit is part of his three-nation tour that includes Cyprus and Croatia.
Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
‘India-Canada relations extremely important': PM Modi meets Mark Carney at G7 summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada on Tuesday night (local time). Modi said relations between India and Canada are 'extremely important' and the two leaders look forward to working closely to add momentum to the friendship. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Carney assumed office in May 2025. 'I believe that India-Canada relations are extremely important, and India and Canada should work together and achieve win-win cooperation in several areas,' PM Modi said in his remarks ahead of the bilateral meeting. Modi complimented Canadian PM Carney on the successful hosting of the summit and expressed his enthusiasm for strengthening India-Canada relations and emphasised the shared commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law that binds India and Canada together. "Had an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Complimented him and the Canadian Government for successfully hosting the G7 Summit. India and Canada are connected by a strong belief in democracy, freedom and rule of law. PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship. Areas like trade, energy, space, clean energy, critical minerals, fertilisers and more offer immense potential in this regard," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting. PM Modi's visit to Canada comes after a period of friction between New Delhi and Ottawa, triggered by Canadian allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Canada in 2023. India had strongly rejected the allegations. The diplomatic standoff escalated as both countries expelled senior diplomats in a tit-for-tat response. New Delhi has consistently voiced concerns about extremism and anti-India activities on Canadian soil and urged Canadian authorities to take concrete steps to curb such elements. The two nations agreed to return ambassadors to each other's capitals, turning the page on a bitter spat over Nijjar's assassination as Canada's new leader Carney welcomed counterpart Narendra Modi. PM Carney, who took office in March, had invited Modi to the Canadian Rockies as a guest at the summit of the Group of Seven major economies. Carney's predecessor Justin Trudeau last year publicly accused India of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil and expelled the Indian ambassador, triggering a furious reciprocal response from India. During the meeting, PM Modi expressed gratitude for the invitation extended to India to participate in the high-level gathering. "I am very grateful to you for inviting India to G7 and I am also fortunate that I have got this opportunity to visit Canada once again after 2015 and connect with the people of Canada," he said, news agency ANI reported. The PM also underscored India's global leadership and contributions. "India is the largest democratic country in the world. As the chair of the G20 Summit, India has taken many initiatives that are beneficial for the world. Today, there is a great opportunity to take the strong foundation that India has laid in the G20 in a new form towards its execution in the G7. India has always been willing to use this opportunity for global good and will remain so in future too," he added. PM Modi also said that India and Canada relations are very important in many ways as Canadian companies have made significant investments in India, leveraging the country's vast market potential and skilled workforce. Conversely, Indian businesses have also established a substantial presence in Canada, contributing to the country's economic growth and diversity. "This is the first time I have got the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister after his election, so I congratulate him for his grand victory in this election and in the coming period, India and Canada will progress together in many areas with him," added PM Modi. Earlier in the day, PM Modi arrived at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge to attend the G7 Summit, marking his return to Canada after nearly a decade. Canadian PM Mark Carney received PM Modi as he arrived at the venue of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. This marks his sixth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit and his first visit to Canada in a decade. PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the Calgary airport, where India's acting high commissioner, Chinmoy Naik, was among those who received him. In his opening remarks ahead of the meeting, Mr. Carney said it was a great honour to host PM Modi at the G7. PM Carney also expressed his appreciation for Modi's presence and leadership. He said India has been participating in the G7 since 2018, and this is a 'testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership, and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together - from energy security, from the energy transition that you're hoping to lead, to the future of artificial intelligence, to the fight that we have against transnational repression, against terrorism, against other factors, and the work that we can do together.' 'It is my great honour to have you here. I enjoyed your intervention just now and look forward to our discussion,' Carney said. Carney further emphasised shared priorities, saying, 'The issues that we look to tackle together, from energy security, to the future of artificial intelligence, to the fight that we have against transnational repression, against terrorism.' Earlier, PM Modi was formally received by the Canadian leader as he arrived for the G7 Outreach Session. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X. This visit marks PM Modi's first trip to Canada in a decade. He heads to Croatia from Canada in the third and last leg of his five-nation tour. I believe that India-Canada relations are extremely important, and India and Canada should work together and achieve win-win cooperation in several areas.
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Canada ties 'extremely important': Modi after breakthrough meet with Mark Carney at G7
Kananaskis: In a breakthrough meeting on the margins of the G7 leaders' summit on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his host and Canadian counterpart Mark Carney agreed to renew relations that have been troubled for over 20 months. Both countries have agreed to reappoint High Commissioners to each other's capitals. Modi said that relations between the two countries were "very important." Carney said among the matters the two countries would "tackle together" are "transnational repression and terrorism." Modi described the meeting as "excellent". "PM Carney and I look forward to working closely to add momentum to the India-Canada friendship." In a readout, the Canadian PMO said they "reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, based on mutual respect, the rule of law, and a commitment to the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity." Carney described as a "great honour" hosting Modi at the summit in Kananaskis, a resort in the Canadian Rockies. "India has been coming to the G7 since 2018. It's a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership." He said the two countries were looking at cooperating on a range of sectors, from energy security, to the future of artificial intelligence." Neither country has had a High Commissioner in the other's capital since October 2024. India withdrew then High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other officials after Ottawa asked New Delhi to waive their diplomatic immunity so they could be questioned on violent criminal activity. In retaliation, India expelled six Camadian officials including its Acting HC. The bilateral on Tuesday amid the scenic surrounding has marked the beginning of a reset. Ties between India and Canada cratered on September 18, 2023, when then PM Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar three months earlier in Surrey, British Columbia Carney had signalled a change in approach towards India earlier this year and the invitation to Modi, over objections from the pro-Khalistan lobby, was a meaningful measure.
