President Droupadi Murmu conferred with Suriname's highest civilian award
Paramaribo (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has been conferred with Suriname's highest civilian award by President Chandrikapersad Santokhi to honour the deep-rooted bilateral ties.
Murmu arrived in Suriname on Sunday on a three-day state visit - her first since assuming office in July last year.
"An honour reflective of the deep-rooted India-Suriname ties! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn conferred with the 'Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star', the highest civilian award of Suriname by President @CSantokhi," the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.
President Murmu said she was greatly honoured to receive Suriname's highest distinction.
"This recognition holds tremendous significance, not only for me but also for the 1.4 billion people of India whom I represent," she tweeted after receiving the award on Monday.
She dedicated the honour to the successive generations of the Indian-Surinamese community, who have played a stellar role in enriching the fraternal ties between our two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the President on receiving the award.
"Congratulations to Rashtrapati Ji on being conferred the highest civilian award of Suriname Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star. This special gesture from the Government and the people of Suriname symbolises the enduring friendship between our countries," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
Despite her many official engagements, President Murmu spent some time with a group of children who came to greet her in Paramaribo. She offered them India-made chocolates.
President also visited Marinetrap' where she witnessed the simulation and welcoming of the arrival of the First Indians in Suriname. She also inaugurated the simulated village at Independence Square.
On Monday, President Murmu met her Surinamese counterpart Chandrikapersad Santokhi and later led delegation-level talks between the two sides. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that she was happy to be in Suriname on her first State Visit as President of India when it is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname.
She said that deep historical and cultural ties provide the foundation for the India-Suriname multifaceted and modern partnership.
The President noted that bilateral trade between the two countries is well below potential. She said that there is a need to work together to expand bilateral trade for mutual benefit. She expressed confidence that the agreements signed during the visit would help boost the trade and economic ties. She said that there is scope for further collaboration in sectors like pharmaceuticals, Ayurveda, agriculture and defence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a press release.
The President said that India is committed to enhancing technical cooperation and contributing to the capacity-building and skill development of Suriname's human resources as per the country's requirements. The two countries also signed three MoUs to enhance bilateral cooperation.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
