New Delhi: Prime Minister Modi was on Monday conferred with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL) by Papua New Guinea.
It is the nation's highest civilian award for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and initiating the cause of Global South. In a special ceremony at the Government House, Bob Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea (PNG) conferred Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL). This is the highest civilian award of PNG and recipients of the award are titled "Chief".
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said, "An honor emblematic of the depth of India-Papua New Guinea relationship. Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae of Papua New Guinea conferred PM Modi with the country's highest civilian award, Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL)".
Earlier on Monday, PM Modi has been conferred with the highest honor of Fiji, the companion of the Order of Fiji. It was presented to him by PM Sitiveni Rabuka. Later, on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) today at Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) courses from across the Pacific Island Countries. The alumni included senior government officials, leading professionals, and community leaders who have received training in India under ITEC. They are contributing to their societies using the skills gained in India.
Prime Minister Modi complimented the alumni for their success and achievements. He highlighted the important role played by India’s capacity-building initiative in helping the countries meet their developmental goals, especially in the areas like good governance, climate change, digital public goods, and sustainable development. He reiterated India’s support for such capacity-building efforts. It is pertinent to note that following the last FIPIC Summit in 2015, India has trained close to 1000 officials from all countries in this region. India has also sent experts on long-term deputations to agencies in these countries to assist them in agriculture and related areas. PM Modi arrived on the second leg of his visit to Papua New Guinea on Sunday after attending the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. As India has been steadfast and proactive in building ties with the partners in the region, his visit will enhance bilateral cooperation with the Pacific island nations.
