President Droupadi Murmu honoured with SA Suriname's highest civilian award

Digital Desk: President Droupadi Murmu was awarded South America Suriname's highest civilian honour from President Chandrikapersad Santokhi in recognition of their deep mutual connections.

President Murmu came to Suriname on a three-day State visit on Sunday, June 4, 2023, her first since taking office in July of last year.

President Murmu expressed her gratitude for receiving Suriname's highest honour.

The Ministry of External Affairs posted a tweet saying, "An honour reflective of the deep-rooted India-Suriname ties! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn conferred with the 'Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star', the highest civilian award of Suriname by President @CSantokhi,"

"This recognition holds tremendous significance, not only for me but also for the 1.4 billion people of India whom I represent," she tweeted after embracing the award on Monday.

She dedicated the award to the successive generations of the Indian-Surinamese community, who have contributed significantly to the strengthening of our two countries' bonds.

PM Modi also extended his warm wishes to Prez Droupadi Murmu on receiving South America Suriname's highest civilian honour.

PM Modi took to Twitter, Which read, "Congratulations to Rashtrapati Ji on being conferred the highest civilian award of Suriname – Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star. This special gesture from the Government and the people of Suriname symbolises the enduring friendship between our countries."

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President Murmu convened with her Surinamese counterpart, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, on Monday and later chaired delegation-level talks between the two sides. Speaking on the occasion, the President expressed her pleasure to be in Suriname on her first State Visit as President of India, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname.

Ms. Murmu, President of India and Suriname's President C Santokhi, stated that bilateral trade between the two nations is underutilised and that there is room for greater cooperation in areas such as medicines, Ayurveda, agriculture, and the military.

Furthermore, India is dedicated to expanding technical cooperation and helping Suriname's human resources grow capacity and skills. In addition, the two countries signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation.