Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order, which he dedicated to the “enduring” bond between India and Uzbekistan.
Modi is in Uzbekistan on a two-day visit to bolster ties in a range of areas including trade, clean energy and connectivity.
The prime minister was conferred with the honour by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
“Honoured to receive the ‘Oliy Darajali Do’stlik’ Order. I dedicate this to the enduring bond between India and Uzbekistan,” Modi said in a social media post.
The Ministry of External Affairs said on X that the prime minister was conferred the honour for his “contribution in strengthening the friendship between the two countries”.
“PM dedicated the accolade to the 1.4 billion people of India and highlighted that it is a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two civilisations,” it said.
In his remarks, Modi said receiving the award was a matter of great pride for him.
He said the people of India are very familiar with the word used for the award – ‘Dostlik’.
“There is hardly a family in India where the word ‘Dostlik’ is not spoken a hundred times a day. Today, you have truly brought out the essence of it. ‘Dostlik’ means friendship. The word itself beautifully expresses the sentiment at the heart of the relationship between India and Uzbekistan,” he said.
Modi said receiving the award was not his personal honour but an honour for 1.4 billion Indians.
“On behalf of all Indians, I sincerely thank the people of Uzbekistan, the government, and my dear friend, the President. I accept this highest honour with utmost humility and dedicate it to the centuries-old friendship between our two countries and our shared heritage,” he said.
Earlier, Modi held talks with Mirziyoyev, following which India and Uzbekistan decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The prime minister is scheduled to travel to Kyrgyzstan from Tashkent to participate in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on August 31-September 1.
