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The Print
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
It's raining global awards for PM Modi. He's bagged 13 in 3rd term alone, a whopping 27 since 2014
In the last week, the Indian prime minister has received international honours from Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brazil,besides Namibia. He also received the key to the city of Buenos Aires during his visit to Argentina. 'I humbly accept this honour on behalf of 140 crore Indians…I dedicate this award to the people of Namibia and India, to their continued progress and development, and to the enduring strength of our unbreakable friendship,' Modi said during his acceptance speech. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with his 27th international honour Wednesday—the 'Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis'—during his visit to Namibia. This is the fourth award he has received in the past week, and the 13th since the start of his third term in June 2024. Starting with Mauritius, Modi has received an award during almost every visit to a foreign country this year, including Sri Lanka and Cyprus before his current five-nation visit. These awards are given for various reasons, but are considered an important marker of the influence the individual has had on building ties between the two countries. For example, the citation of the award from Namibia reads, 'His leadership, defined by technological innovation, economic growth, social and climate justice, and international diplomacy, transcends the borders of India.' Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said in the conferment of the award, 'Narendra Modi, who has significantly contributed to socio-economic development and the promotion of peace and justice in Namibia and globally.' The award has been conferred on Modi's first trip to the South West African nation. The first of the four awards in the past week conferred on him was the 'Order of the Star of Ghana'. Conferred on 2 July, it was given in recognition of Modi's 'distinguished leadership, contribution to global development and deep commitment to strengthening ties between Ghana and India'. Some of the other foreign leaders to receive the Ghanaian award are Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and King Charles. The next one was conferred during the visit to Trinidad and Tobago—the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A couple of days later, Modi received the 'Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross' by the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva. Also Read: Modi makes diplomatic push in Africa, says continent must not be just a 'source for raw materials' From West Asia to Latin America During his first two terms as prime minister, Modi was conferred with 14 international honours, primarily from West Asian nations, the neighbourhood and the Pacific Island States. A couple of Western nations, including the US, Greece and France, were some of the other nations to confer honours upon him. His first international honour in 2016 came in from Saudi Arabia, the 'Order of King Abdulaziz', followed by the 'State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan' from Afghanistan the same year. In 2018, he received the 'Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award' during a visit to the city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is currently headquartered. The Palestine visit was the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to the West Asian nation. India has recognised the State of Palestine since 1988, and hosts an embassy in New Delhi. In 2019, the Indian Prime Minister received a raft of international honours, including 'King Hamad Order of Resistance' from Bahrain, the 'Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin' from the Maldives, and the 'Order of Zayed Award' from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). That same year, Russia announced its decision to confer the Order of St. Andrew on Modi. The Indian Prime Minister received the award during his visit to Russia last year. In 2020, US President Donald J. Trump had awarded Modi with the US Legion of Merit—a decoration created specifically for foreign citizens in 1942. In 2021, Bhutan conferred its highest civilian award, the 'Order of Druk Gyalpo' on him, which he received last year. The prime minister received a number of awards in 2023, including the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Honour' from Greece during his state visit. Other honours conferred on him that year were the 'Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour' from France, the 'Order of the Nile' from Egypt, the 'Ebakl Award' from Palau, the 'Order of Logohu' from Papua New Guinea, and the 'Companion of the Order of Fiji'. In 2024, Modi was conferred with a number of honours from the Caribbean nations during his visit to the Guyanese capital of Georgetown in South America for the India-CARICOM Summit. He was conferred with the 'Dominica Award of Honour' from Dominica, the 'Order of Freedom' from Barbados and the 'Order of Excellence' from Guyana. Before travelling to South America, the Indian Prime Minister made a visit to Nigeria, where he was conferred with the 'Order of the Niger' in November 2024. A month later, in December, he was conferred with the 'Order of Mubarak the Great' from Kuwait during his visit to the West Asian nation. In April this year, Sri Lanka conferred the 'Mitra Vibhushana' on Modi, the highest civilian award given to foreigners. Also, in June, during a visit to Cyprus, he was conferred the 'Order of Makarios III'. While the awards are a recognition of the individual's contribution to various areas, it does not necessarily change the course of diplomacy between nations. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: Bihar ki beti in Trinidad & Tobago, Madhubani in Argentina—Modi's poll messaging on foreign tour
The Print
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Modi makes diplomatic push in Africa, says continent must not be just a ‘source for raw materials'
New Delhi has opened at least 17 new missions in Africa since 2018, and successfully pushed for the inclusion of the African Union (AU) in the G20 during India's presidency of the grouping in 2023. Modi's Africa push comes as India seeks to expand its diplomatic footprint on the continent, where China has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and mining projects in exchange for access to natural resources. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday pitched for India as an alternative development partner for Africa, calling for a future marked by dialogue, equity and cooperation in a message seen as a veiled contrast with China's resource-driven engagement with the continent. 'In the 21st century, India's development lights a path, showing that the Global South can rise, lead, and shape its own future. The message is, You can succeed—on your own terms, without losing your identity,' Modi said in his address to the National Assembly of Namibia. 'For this message to echo louder, we must act together. Let us create a future defined not by power, but by partnership. Not by dominance, but by dialogue. Not by exclusion, but by equity,' he added. The prime minister was in Namibia for a one-day visit, the first by an Indian leader to the South West African nation since President Pranab Mukherjee's state visit in 2016. The visit was the last leg of the Modi's five-nation tour that covered Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina and Brazil before arriving in Windhoek. In Windhoek, Modi met with the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and later addressed the National Assembly. The Indian leader was awarded Namibia's highest civilian honour, the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis. This is the fourth state award conferred on Modi during the five-nation visit. The visits to Ghana and Namibia build on his visit to Nigeria last year, in an attempt to diplomatically strengthen India's position in a continent that has seen the entrance of China and Russia as developmental partners in recent years. France, the US and the UK, all long-standing partners in Africa, have recently seen their influence decline. While Modi did not mention China in his speech, the spectre of Beijing's reach in Africa hangs over Indian diplomacy in the continent. In his speech, the prime minister highlighted the $12 billion India has invested in developmental projects in Africa. 'But its real value is in shared growth and shared purpose. We continue to build local skills, create local jobs, and support local innovation,' said Modi. He added that Africa 'must not be just a source of raw materials'. Beijing, for nearly two decades, has lent heavily to African nations in complex deals that give access to natural resources in specific nations. Between 2000 and 2021, China lent roughly $56.9 billion to 19 emerging economies across the world for mining projects in minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements (REEs), according to AidData. As early as 2008, China signed a resource-for-infrastructure (RFI) deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Beijing's Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China agreed to $5.6 billion in development funding in return for its mining companies to pick up a majority stake in a joint venture – Sino-Congolaise Des Mines (Sicomines SARL). Exim Bank provided a further $2 billion in financing for Sicomines to build a copper-cobalt mine in the Lualaba province in DRC. This mining site is said to have roughly 10 per cent of the total copper and cobalt reserves in the DRC, according to AidData. Such deals are common across the continent, a point that Modi tried to underline during his address. 'Africa must lead in value creation and sustainable growth. That is why we fully support Africa's Agenda 2063 for industrialisation. We are ready to expand our cooperation in defence and security. India values Africa's role in world affairs,' Modi said. 'As two nations forged in the fires of freedom, let us now dream and build a future of dignity, equality and opportunity. Not just for our people, but for all of humanity,' he added. Also read: UPI to Ayurveda, PM Modi's Ghana visit will unlock new trade frontiers for India Defence, UPI & Cheetahs Defence was a key topic of discussion between Prime Minister Modi and President Nandi-Ndaitwah. 'With the prime minister's visit, one of the highlights is that we are taking our relations to a higher strategic level. And by that, I mean that defence or critical minerals are some of the areas that were discussed. In defence, Namibia is interested in the procurement of equipment from India. And we offered them a line of credit, especially for defence,' Rahul Shrivastava, India's High Commissioner to Namibia, said Wednesday at a special press briefing. 'There are a few more points in defence. For example, we will be donating some equipment. One is a simulator for their training schools. There's also some infrastructure, IT equipment for their training schools,' he added. The African nation also translocated its cheetahs to India in 2022, as New Delhi sought to bring the animal back into its ecosystem. India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is set to be launched in the South West African nation later this year. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in April 2024 signed a licensing agreement with the Bank of Namibia, the first of its kind. During the visit, it was announced that the digital payments platform will be adopted soon. Two agreements were signed in entrepreneurship and health, while Namibia announced that it shall be joining two Indian led global organisations—the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Global Biofuel Alliance. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: Bihar ki beti in Trinidad & Tobago, Madhubani in Argentina—Modi's poll messaging on foreign tour
Hans India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
PM Modi's visit to focus on trade, investment: Namibian Presidency
Windhoek: The Namibian Presidency has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Southwest African nation on July 9 will explore new avenues to enhance the bilateral collaborations between India and Namibia. Namibia will be the final leg of PM Modi's five-nation visit after Ghana (July 2-3), Trinidad and Tobago (July 3-4), Argentina (July 4-5) and Brazil (July 5-8). It will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Namibia, and the third-ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia. It is also the first bilateral State Visit that Nandi-Ndaitwah is hosting after taking over as the President of Namibia in March. "Driven by a common desire to deepen bilateral relations between the two nations, the leaders will witness the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements, including those in trade and investment, the environment, education, health, and ICT," state run Namibian Broadcasting Corporation(NBC) quoted Alfredo Hengari, the Press Secretary of Namibia as saying on Monday (local time). According to Hengari, PM Modi's programme includes an address to a joint session of Parliament and a visit to Heroes' Acre in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, the war memorial of the country. The Namibian Press Secretary stated that PM Modi and President of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will exchange views on global issues of mutual concern. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi's forthcoming visit to Namibia, the first since Namibian President Nandi-Ndaitwah assumed office, is a significant step towards renewing the bilateral ties and deepening economic engagement between both nations. PM Modi's July 9 visit, happening so early in the Namibian President's tenure, would be very useful in renewing the relationship, besides deepening economic engagement, the MEA stated. The MEA said that during his visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah and also pay homage to the Founding Father and first President of Namibia, Late Dr. Sam Nujoma. India and Namibia have strong historical linkages, with New Delhi recognising the South West African country much before it attained independence in 1990. Both nations enjoy a very warm relationship and share a wide range of areas for cooperation, including in the domains of environment and biodiversity, trade and investments, mining, diamond processing, energy, healthcare, defence, agriculture, capacity building and education. PM Modi's visit is expected to further deepen and strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.
Hans India
30-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
India and Namibia to deepen bilateral ties, economic cooperation during PM Modi's visit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit to Namibia, the first since Namibian President Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah assumed office, is a significant step towards renewing the bilateral ties and deepening economic engagement between both nations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to Namibia, and the third-ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia. This is also the first bilateral State Visit that Nandi-Ndaitwah is hosting after taking over as the President of Namibia in March. PM Modi's July 9 visit, happening so early in the Namibian leader's tenure, would be very useful in renewing the relationship besides deepening economic engagement, the MEA stated. Namibia will be the final leg of PM Modi's five-nation visit after Ghana (July 2-3), Trinidad and Tobago (July 3-4), Argentina (July 4-5) and Brazil (July 5-8). During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah and also pay homage to the Founding Father and first President of Namibia, Late Dr. Sam Nujoma. He is also expected to deliver an address at the Parliament of Namibia. "The bilateral relations are wide-ranging. The trade is $600 million, marginally in favour of India. The investments are $800 million, mostly in mineral resources like zinc and diamond processing," said the MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi while addressing a press briefing in New Delhi on Monday. India and Namibia have strong historical linkages with New Delhi recognising the South West African country much before it attained independence in 1990. India raised the matter of Namibia, formerly known as 'South West Africa', at the first United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1946. India also allowed Namibia to establish its first-ever diplomatic mission in 1986 in New Delhi. The MEA highlighted that India had taken a few cheetahs from Namibia and relocated them to the Kuno National Park, adding that the phase has been very successfully implemented. Additionally, the Unified Payments interoperability technology agreement, an important part in the development of the relationship, has been signed between the Central Bank of Namibia and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and will be taken forward during PM Modi's visit. "Namibia is rich in natural resources and minerals. It has natural resources of uranium, copper, cobalt, rare earths in large numbers, lithium, graphite, tantalum, all these are of interest to us. In recent times Namibia has also discovered new oil fields. There will be broad understanding on partnership for hydrocarbons. Namibia is also keen to engage with India in agriculture and pharma," Secretary Ravi stated. The visit of the Prime Minister, he said, is a reiteration of India's multi-faceted and deep-rooted historical ties with Namibia. India and Namibia enjoy a very warm relationship and share a wide range of areas for cooperation, including in the domains of environment and biodiversity, trade and investments, mining, diamond processing, energy, healthcare, defence, agriculture, capacity building and education. PM Modi's visit is expected to further deepen and strengthen bilateral relations between two vibrant democracies.
