BRASILIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the people of Brazil, its government and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for being conferred with the highest national honour -- 'The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross'. The Prime Minister expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the President, the government, and the people of Brazil for the distinguished honour, an official said.
Accepting the award, PM Modi noted that the honour was a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India, and to the enduring bonds of friendship between India and Brazil.
He further stated that President Lula was the architect of India-Brazil Strategic Partnership, and the award was as much an honour to his untiring efforts to take the bilateral ties to greater heights, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.