The highest civilian honour of Suriname is presented to President Murmu

In recognition of the strong bilateral connections, President Droupadi Murmu has been given the highest civilian honour in Suriname by her colleague Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

Murmu made her first official trip since taking office in July of last year when she landed in Suriname on Sunday for a three-day stay.

In a ceremony conducted at the Presidential Palace, the President of Suriname presented her with the country’s highest civilian accolade, the Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star, according to a statement released by her office in New Delhi.

She expressed her gratitude to President Santokhi and the Surinamese government for conferring this award upon her in her acceptance speech.

President Murmu expressed her deep gratitude for receiving Suriname’s highest accolade.

She said that this honour is of utmost importance to the more than 1.4 billion Indians as well as to herself. She dedicated the distinction to the subsequent generations of the Indian-Surinamese community, who have made a significant contribution to strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two nations.

“An accolade that reflects the strong links between India and Suriname! President @CSantokhi presented President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn with the “Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star,” the highest civilian honour of Suriname, according to a tweet from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The President was congratulated on collecting the honour by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Congratulations to Rashtrapati Ji on receiving the Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star, the highest civilian honour bestowed by Suriname. The Surinamese government and people’s extraordinary act serves as a sign of our nations’ ongoing friendship, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

President Murmu spent some time with a group of kids who came to welcome her in Paramaribo despite her busy schedule of official activities. She handed them chocolates manufactured in India.

President also went to “Marinetrap,” where she saw a recreation of the First Indians’ landing in Suriname and their welcome. Additionally, she opened the mock town on Independence Square.

President Murmu met with her Surinamese colleague Chandrikapersad Santokhi on Monday and afterwards oversaw negotiations at the delegation level. Speaking at the event, the President expressed her happiness at being in Suriname on her first State Visit as President of India during the 150th anniversary celebration of Indian immigration to Suriname.

According to her, the diverse and contemporary friendship between India and Suriname is built on strong historical and cultural links.

The President emphasised that the two nations’ bilateral commerce is well below its potential. She said that cooperation is required in order to increase bilateral commerce for both parties’ advantage. She stated her belief that the contracts made during the tour will strengthen the country’s commercial and economic connections. According to her, there is room for further cooperation in industries including medicines, Ayurveda, agriculture, and defence, according to a news release from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

According to the needs of the nation, the President said that India is dedicated to strengthening technical cooperation and helping Suriname’s human resources enhance their capacities and skills. Three Memorandums of Understanding were also signed by the two nations to further their mutual collaboration.