Manama: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the key Gulf nation.
Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Bahrain, received the honour on Saturday night when he called on the King of Bahrain.
The King bestowed Bahrain Order First Class on Prime Minister Modi in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain, the official Bahrain News Agency reported.
On Saturday, Abu Dhabi crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan honoured Prime Minister Modi with the 'Order of Zayed', the UAE's highest civilian award, in recognition of his pivotal role in building the strategic relationship between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi in his acceptance speech, said that he felt very honoured and fortunate to be awarded The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahrain.
"I am equally honoured by Your Majesty's friendship for me and for my country," he said. "I humbly accept this prestigious honour on behalf of 1.3 billion Indians. It is an honour for entire India. This is a recognition of the close and friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India. These relations go back thousands of years," he said.
He noted that the two countries have agreed to add new areas of cooperation and further strengthen the bilateral ties. "We aim to make India a USD 5 trillion economy. We would like Bahrain to partner India more closely for shared progress," Modi said.
Meanwhile, in an humanitarian gesture, the Bahrain government on Sunday pardoned 250 Indians serving sentences in the Gulf nation during the maiden visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the oil-rich country. The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the Bahrain leadership for the Royal pardon.
According to an official data, 8,189 Indians are lodged in various prisons in foreign countries, with Saudi Arabia having the highest number at 1,811 followed by the UAE at 1,392.