Guyana, Barbados to honour PM Modi with highest national awards

New Delhi, Nov 20 : Guyana and Barbados are poised to bestow their highest national honours upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, increasing his total count of international accolades to 19.

Guyana will present 'The Order of Excellence,' while Barbados will grant the esteemed 'Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados' to the Prime Minister.

Prior to reaching Guyana, Prime Minister Modi wrapped up his trip to Nigeria, where he engaged in fruitful bilateral talks with President Tinubu. During this visit, Nigeria awarded the Prime Minister its top distinction, the 'Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger' (GCON).

The award, presented by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, honours PM Modi for his leadership and the improvement of India-Nigeria relations. Notably, the Prime Minister is only the second foreign dignitary to receive the GCON, a recognition that was first given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1969.

"Nigeria values its excellent relationship with India, and we work to deepen and broaden the same to the mutual benefit of our two friendly countries. You represent a very strong commitment to democratic values and norms. You have been doing a good job historically; winning three consecutive elections in a complex society is a feat that we respect so much," said Tinubu.

"I will confer on you today, the Prime Minister of India, Nigeria's National Honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger. This to signify Nigerian appreciation and commitment to India as a partner," he added.

Earlier this week, Dominica announced its highest national honour, the 'Dominica Award of Honour,' for PM Modi in acknowledgement of his pivotal support during the Covid-19 pandemic and his commitment to fostering India-Dominica relations.

Dominica's President Sylvanie Burton is set to confer the award during the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana, which Prime Minister Modi will be attending personally in the coming week after wrapping up his engagements in the G20 Summit at Rio de Janeiro.

This would eventually take the number of civilian honours received by PM Modi to a record 17, highlighting his leadership and India's growing stature on the global stage.

It is also a reflection of India's strengthened diplomatic relationships and the country's expanding influence.

PM Modi has 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.