PM Narendra Modi conferred with Ghana's national honour

Accra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country's national honour, for his "distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership".

Modi received the award on Wednesday from the Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama.

"Honoured to be conferred with ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’," the prime minister said on X.

In his acceptance speech, Modi said the award was a matter of great pride and honour for him.

"I humbly accept the award on behalf of the 140 crore Indians," he said, dedicating it to the aspirations and bright future of the youth of the two countries, the historical ties between Ghana and India, and their rich cultural traditions and diversity.

"This honour is also a responsibility; to keep working towards a stronger India-Ghana friendship. India will always stand with the people of Ghana and continue to contribute as a trusted friend and development partner," he said in an X post.

The award was conferred on the prime minister in recognition of his "distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

Thanking the people and government of Ghana for the special gesture, the prime minister noted that the "shared democratic values and traditions of the two countries would continue to nurture the partnership".

He said the award "further deepens the friendship between the two countries and places new responsibility on him to embrace and advance bilateral ties".

Apart from Modi, prominent personalities awarded the 'Order of the Star of Ghana' include Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of the UK, Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, and Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the UN, King Charles III as the Prince of Wales in 2018, King Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, and Giorgio Napolitano, the former president of Italy.

Modi asserted his confidence that his "historic" state visit to Ghana would impart a new momentum to India-Ghana ties, according to the MEA.

"A testament to the deep and long-standing India-Ghana ties, " MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.

Earlier, Modi held wide-ranging talks with Mahama, after which India and Ghana elevated their ties to the level of a comprehensive partnership.

The prime minister is in Ghana on the first leg of his five-nation tour.

It is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Ghana in three decades.