Sri Lanka confers Mithra Vibhushana award on PM Modi for strengthening bilateral ties

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday received the ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ award from the island nation’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The ‘Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana’ is the highest honour bestowed by the Government of Sri Lanka on foreign leaders. This is the first time that a leader of India has received this award from the Sri Lankan government. The award was conferred on the prime minister for his enduring contribution to strengthening India-Sri Lanka friendship.

“It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone - it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India,” Modi said after receiving the award.

“It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the President, the Government and the people of Sri Lanka for this honour.”

Modi, who is on a visit to Colombo from Friday to Sunday, also visited the memorial dedicated to the martyred soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, which was deployed in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990.

“We remember the brave soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, who laid down their lives in service of peace, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka,” the prime minister wrote on X, adding: “Their unwavering courage and commitment remain a source of inspiration for us all.”