PM Modi conferred with ‘Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country's national honour, for his statesmanship and leadership. Modi received the award on Wednesday from Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. The prime minister expressed his gratitude and said that the award was a matter of great pride and honour. 

He added that the honour also carried responsibility to continue working towards stronger India-Ghana friendship. Modi assured that India would always stand with the people of Ghana and remain a trusted friend and development partner.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the award as a testament to the deep and long-standing India-Ghana ties. Earlier, Modi held wide-ranging talks with President 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. This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to Ghana in three decades.

"Today, the president and I have decided to elevate our bilateral partnership to a Comprehensive Partnership. India is not just a partner but a co-traveller in Ghana's journey of nation-building," Modi said in an announcement after discussions with Mahama..

"Indian companies have invested nearly two billion dollars in about 900 projects. Today, we have set a target to double our mutual trade in the next five years," he said. This underscores the robust trade and investment partnership between the two nations.

The two countries are expected to cooperate on multiple sectors, including fintech, where India will share its experience of UPI digital payments with Ghana. Other sectors include critical minerals, defence, and maritime security, reflecting a broadening of the economic and security cooperation between the two countries.

PM Modi also addressed the threat of terrorism. "We are unanimous that terrorism is the enemy of humanity. We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism," he said.