PM Modi Receives Slovakia's Highest National Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday conferred with Slovakia's highest national award, The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class).

This is Prime Minister Modi's 33rd international honour.

President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini conferred the award on PM Modi at a ceremony in Bratislava.

"Honoured to receive The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) in Bratislava this evening. My gratitude to the people and Government of Slovakia for this honour, which belongs to the 140 crore people of India. I dedicate this award to the enduring friendship between India and Slovakia," PM Modi posted on social media.

PM Modi called the award a testament to the warmth, trust, and affection that unite the people of India and Slovakia, and hoped that the honour would inspire future generations in both countries to continue nurturing their special friendship, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The Order of the White Double Cross (1st Class) is the highest civilian and military state decoration awarded exclusively to foreign citizens by Slovakia.

PM Modi is in Bratislava as part of his weeklong visit to Europe. It is the first visit to the European nation by an Indian prime minister.

Earlier, India and Slovakia elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership and firmed up 11 agreements to expand the bilateral cooperation in a range of areas such as migration, digital technology and defence. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)