Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi was awarded ‘The Order of St Andrew the Apostle,’ the highest order of the Russian Federation. He was bestowed the honour for “outstanding achievements in promoting partnership with Russia.”
The official Twitter account of the President of Russia read:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Order of St Andrew for outstanding achievements in promoting partnership with Russia https://t.co/mdTIVoFDJ5
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) April 12, 2019
In response to the honour, Narendra Modi tweeted by thanking the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia.
Honoured to receive this prestigious award. I thank President Putin and the people of Russia.
Foundations of India-Russia friendship are deep & the future of our partnership is bright.
Extensive cooperation between our nations has led to extraordinary outcomes for our citizens. https://t.co/4ppEC7ZAWe
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2019
What is ‘The Order of St Andrew the Apostle’?
The Order of St Andrew the Apostle was established in the year 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great. It was named after and in honour of Saint Andrew, who was the first apostle of Jesus and a patron saint of Russia. However, the award was discontinued later only to be reinstated by former President of Russia Boris Yeltsin in 1998.
The award is traditionally presented to eminent government and public figures, and to prominent representatives from the field of science, art, and culture and other sectors of the economy for “exceptional services that contribute to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia.”
Previous recipients of the award include many statesmen across the world including Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
