Nicosia: India’s strengthened diplomatic relationships and the country’s expanding influence across the globe was once again visible on Monday as President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, conferred upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi Cyprus’s honour – the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III – at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.
The award marks the 23rd international recognition bestowed on PM Modi by a foreign country, underlining his unmatched stature – no Prime Minister of India has ever had such a profound global impact – as a global statesman who remains committed to regional peace, development, and spiritual diplomacy.
Christodoulides, while awarding the Grand Cross, acknowledged that it was an honor to have PM Modi in Nicosia on this historic visit, 23 years since the last visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus. He also thanked India for its long-standing stance on the Cyprus issue and Nicosia’s efforts to end the Turkish occupation. Cyprus, he said, is a predictable and secure ally of India in a region of particular geostrategic importance, such as the Eastern Mediterranean, the wider Middle East.
“At the same time, it is a Member State of the European Union (EU) that constitutes India’s gateway to Europe, and in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU that will begin on 1 January 2026, we will work to further strengthen India’s strategic relations with the EU,” said Christodoulides.
Accepting the honour on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, Prime Minister Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the President, the government, and the people of Cyprus. He dedicated the award to the longstanding warm ties between India and Cyprus which are built on shared values and mutual trust. He further noted that the award was a recognition of India’s age-old philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’ that guides its vision for global peace and progress.
Notwithstanding the massive significance of PM Modi’s visit to the country which strengthened Nicosia-New Delhi bond, experts reckon that Prime Minister’s 23rd global honour is not just about one leader and reflects the rise of India’s economic strength, strategic clarity, and diplomatic assertiveness on the world stage.
Having admitted that none of it would have been possible without the unwavering trust that 140 crore Indians have placed in his leadership, Prime Minister Modi embraced the honour on Monday as a renewed commitment to strengthening and diversifying the partnership between India and Cyprus.
“For the first time, India’s foreign policy is unapologetically ‘India First’ — clear-headed, confident, and consistent. The world is not just watching; it is acknowledging and respecting this new India,” a former diplomat opined.
Earlier this year, Mauritius and Sri Lanka had conferred their highest civilian honours upon PM Modi.
In April, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake conferred Prime Minister Modi with ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’, the island nation’s highest civilian honour for Heads of State and Government in a grand recognition of the Indian leader’s efforts to strengthen the ties between the two neighbouring nations.
The conferring of the award was regarded as a powerful symbol of shared destinies, spiritual kinship, and a vision for progress rooted in mutual respect and trust between the two countries.
In March, during the National Day celebrations in Port Louis, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool also conferred the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean’ (GCSK) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi.
This was the first time that an Indian leader received the honour.
PM Modi had dedicated the award to the special friendship between India and Mauritius and to the 1.4 billion people of India and their 1.3 million “brothers and sisters in Mauritius”.
“It is very fitting for you, Prime Minister. Since we became a republic, only five foreign dignitaries have got that title and among them there is a person who we call the ‘Gandhi of Africa’ – Nelson Mandela who received it in 1998. Let me tell you that we are greatly honoured to have you amongst us here today and that you managed to find time out of your very, very busy schedule,” Ramgoolam said amidst huge applause.
In December 2924, Kuwait bestowed its highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ to PM Modi, in appreciation of his distinguished achievements and the efforts made to strengthen the relations between the two countries.
The Order is awarded to Heads of State and foreign Sovereigns and to members of foreign royal families in sign of friendship.
It has been previously awarded to foreign leaders like Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush besides other dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
Before that, Prime Minister Modi was conferred with Guyana’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of Excellence’, by the country’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for his visionary statesmanship, championing the rights of developing countries on the global stage, exceptional service to the global community and for his commitment to strengthening India-Guyana relations.
During the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana, Dominica too conferred its highest national honour, the ‘Dominica Award of Honour,’ on PM Modi in acknowledgement of his pivotal support during the Covid-19 pandemic and his commitment to fostering India-Dominica relations.
Nigeria conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Prime Minister Modi during his first official visit to the country in November 2024.
The Indian PM was the first foreign leader to be conferred with the award since 1969 when Queen Elizabeth received Nigeria’s highest national honour.
Before Kuwait, Guyana, Dominica and Nigeria, PM Modi had been conferred highest civilian honours in Saudi Arabia (King Abdulaziz Sash, 2016), Afghanistan (State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan, 2016), Palestine (Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award, 2018), UAE (Order of Zayed Award, 2019), Russia (Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, 2019 – received by PM Modi in July 2024), Maldives (Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin, 2019), Bahrain (King Hamad Order of the Renaissance, 2019), US (Legion of Merit by the US Armed Forces in 2020), Bhutan (Order of the Druk Gyalpo, 2021) Papua New Guinea (Ebakl Award, 2023), Fiji (Companion of the Order of Fiji, 2023), Papua New Guinea (Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu, 2023), Egypt (Order of Nile, 2023), France (Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, 2023), Greece (Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, 2023).
In addition to these highest civilian honours, PM Modi has received several prestigious awards from renowned global organisations.
In 2018, he was awarded the Seoul Peace Prize by the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation, in recognition of his contributions to global harmony and world peace.
In the same year, the United Nations honoured PM Modi with its highest environmental accolade, the Champions of The Earth Award, for his bold environmental leadership.
In 2019, PM Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award, which is annually awarded to leaders who demonstrate outstanding national leadership.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded PM Modi the Global Goalkeeper Award in 2019, in recognition of his efforts to transform India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan into a mass movement for cleanliness.
In 2021, PM Modi received the Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award from Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), in recognition of his leadership on global energy and environmental sustainability.
–IANS
PM Modi’s 23rd global honour reflects world acknowledging and respecting ‘New India’ News Room Odisha.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( PM Modi’s 23rd global honour reflects world acknowledging and respecting ‘New India’ )
Also on site :
- A hillside of white crosses fuels a misleading story about South Africa’s farm killings
- ForexLive Asia-Pacific FX news wrap: Iran-Israel exchange of missile salvos ongoing
- Australia's Albanese says he will press AUKUS, Indo Pacific security in Trump meeting