Modi conferred with top Bahraini award

Manama: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in recognition of New Delhi's strong friendship with the Gulf nation and his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.

Tweeting about the honour conferred upon him on Saturday night, Modi said: "I humbly accept The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance. This is a recognition of India's strong friendship with Bahrain, which goes back hundreds of years and is expanding rapidly in the 21st century." Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Bahrain.

"Thank you Bahrain... This visit sets the ground for even stronger bilateral cooperation between India and Bahrain. The discussions with top leaders, agreements inked and community interactions were truly memorable.

"Hospitality of the people and government was outstanding," he added in another tweet. Modi and the Bahraini King reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations.