Paramaribo: President Droupadi Murmu has been conferred with Suriname’s highest civilian award by her counterpart Chandrikapersad Santokhi to honour the deep-rooted bilateral ties.
Murmu arrived in Suriname on Sunday on a three-day state visit – her first since assuming office in July last year.
She was conferred with the highest civilian honour of Suriname ‘Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star’ by the President of Suriname at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace here, her office said in a statement in New Delhi.
In her acceptance remarks, she thanked President Santokhi and the Government of Suriname for bestowing upon her this honour.
President Murmu said she was greatly honoured to receive Suriname’s highest distinction.
She said that this recognition holds immense significance, not only for her but also for the more than 1.4 billion people of India. She dedicated the honour to the successive generations of the Indian-Surinamese community, who have played a stellar role in enriching the fraternal ties between the two countries.
“An honour reflective of the deep-rooted India-Suriname ties! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn conferred with the ‘Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star’, the highest civilian award of Suriname by President @CSantokhi,” the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the President on receiving the award.
“Congratulations to Rashtrapati Ji on being conferred the highest civilian award of Suriname – Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star. This special gesture from the Government and the people of Suriname symbolises the enduring friendship between our countries,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
PTI