Russia has awarded Prime Minister Narendra Modi Order of St Andrew the Apostle, the highest order of the Russian Federation. PM Modi was awarded the order for “exceptional services in promoting special & privileged strategic partnership between” Russia and India, the Russian embassy in India said in a tweet.
According to the Russian government, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle was established in the 17th century by Peter the Great around 1699 and is the oldest of Russia’s state decorations.
The Order of St Andrew the Apostle is both the highest and the old state decoration of Russia. The order was abolished in the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1918 and was re-established in 1998.
With the Russian award, PM Narendra Modi has now been honoured with around seven top global awards. PM Modi has previously been awarded the United Arab Emirates’s top honour as well as of countries including South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Afghanistan.
PM Modi has also been awarded a United Nations honour.