Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honor, the “Mitra Vibhushan” award. The Sri Lankan government awarded him this honor in recognition of his efforts to strengthen the friendship between the two nations and to promote cultural and spiritual heritage. This marks the 22nd highest civilian honor received by Narendra Modi globally.
The “Mitra Vibhushan” has been introduced by Sri Lanka as a symbol of special friendship on the world stage. The award reflects the warmth and depth of the relationship between India and Sri Lanka.
Following the award, Modi expressed his gratitude, stating that the honor signifies the deep friendship and historical ties between the people of both nations. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Today, President Anura Kumar Dissanayake has honored me with the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan’. It is a matter of great pride for me. This honor is not just mine; it belongs to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolizes the deep friendship and historical relationship between India and Sri Lanka. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the President, the government, and the people of Sri Lanka for this recognition.”
President Dissanayake, while presenting the award to Modi as a foreign head of state, stated that Prime Minister Modi truly deserves this honor. In a joint press conference with Modi, the President said, “I am pleased to announce that the Government of Sri Lanka has decided to confer the highest honor ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan’ to him as a foreign head of state/government.”