• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with Namibia’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis’.

• The award was presented by Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

• Named after the Welwitschia Mirabilis, a unique and ancient desert plant endemic to Namibia, the order symbolises resilience, longevity and the enduring spirit of the Namibian people.

• The award was established in 1995, shortly after Namibia gained independence in 1990, to recognise distinguished service and leadership.

• PM Modi was in Namibia on the last leg of his five-nation visit.

• This is his first visit to Namibia and the third-ever prime ministerial visit from India to the country.

• PM Modi and President Nandi-Ndaitwah held discussions on further strengthening bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence, maritime security, digital technology & UPI, agriculture, health and pharma, energy and critical minerals.

• The two leaders witnessed the exchange of two MoUs in the fields of health and entrepreneurship. 

• In addition, it was announced that Namibia has joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Global Biofuels Alliance.

• Namibia became the first country globally to sign licensing agreement to adopt UPI technology.

• At the invitation of the Speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa, PM Modi addressed the Parliament of Namibia.

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