The Russian government on Friday honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, for “exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples”, Moscow’s embassy in New Delhi tweeted. The award is the highest order of the Russian Federation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the directive honouring Modi with the award. The order is conferred on those with “exceptional services contributing to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia”, as well as heads of foreign governments for “outstanding services to the Russian Federation”, TASS news agency reported.
The award was established by Czar Peter I of Russia in the 17th century, but was abolished following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. It was reinstated by the government of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin in July 1998, seven years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
From 1998 to June 2018, the order was awarded to 18 people, TASS news agency said. Among these, the most prominent were Chinese President Xi Jinping, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn (who refused to accept it). Former President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and former President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev were other foreign dignitaries who received the award.
On April 4, the United Arab Emirates had honoured Modi with the Zayed Medal. The Zayed Medal is the UAE’s highest honour awarded to kings, presidents and heads of states.
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