Modi becomes first foreign head to receive the prestigious award
THE NEWS FREEDOM
NEW DELHI, MARCH 22
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan’s highest civilian decoration, by the King of Bhutan in a public ceremony at the Tendrelthang in Thimphu on Friday. Prime Minister Modi is the first foreign leader to be given this prestigious award.
The King of Bhutan announced the conferment of the award during Bhutan’s 114th National Day celebrations held at the Tashichhodzong in December 2021. The award recognizes Prime Minister Modi’s contribution to strengthening the India-Bhutan friendship and his people-centric leadership. The citation added that the award also honours India’s rise as a global power under his leadership, and celebrates Bhutan’s special bond with India. Prime Minister Modi’s leadership has set India on the path of transformation, and India’s moral authority and global influence have grown.
It is with great humility that I accept the Order of the Druk Gyalpo. I am grateful to HM the King of Bhutan for presenting the Award. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India. I am also confident that India-Bhutan relations will keep growing and benefit our citizens. pic.twitter.com/bDtKZJsS7X
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2024
Prime Minister underlined that the award was an honour bestowed on the 1.4 billion people of Bharat and a testament to the special and unique ties between the two countries. As per ranking and precedence established, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted as the decoration for lifetime achievement and is the pinnacle of the honor system in Bhutan, taking precedence over all orders, decorations and medals.
In addition to it, Prime Minister Modi met H.E. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan in Thimphu over a working lunch hosted in his honour. Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Tobgay for the exceptional public welcome accorded to him, with people greeting him all along the journey from Paro to Thimphu.
The two leaders held discussions on various aspects of the multi-faceted bilateral relations and forged an understanding to further enhance cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, youth exchange, environment and forestry, and tourism. India and Bhutan enjoy long-standing and exceptional ties characterized by utmost trust, goodwill, and mutual understanding at all levels.
Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Modi and the Prime Minister of Bhutan witnessed the exchange of several MoUs and agreements on energy, trade, digital connectivity, space, agriculture, and youth connect among others.