Port Louis, Mar 11: The government of Mauritius on Tuesday announced its decision to bestow the country's highest honour 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing two-day State Visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam made the announcement just before PM Modi began addressing the Indian community in Mauritius on Tuesday evening. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour.

It is also the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country.

"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," said Ramgoolam amidst huge applause.

In December, 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 had 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 also 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.

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.

'The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer' takes the number of civilian honours received by PM Modi to a record 20, highlighting his leadership and India's growing stature on the global stage.

Analysts reckon that it is also a reflection of India's strengthened diplomatic relationships and the country's expanding influence.

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

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