President Murmu accorded Timor-Leste's highest civilian award

Dili, Aug 10 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu was conferred the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country's highest civilian award, from President Jose Ramos-Horta on Saturday, in recognition of her achievements in public service and dedication to education, social welfare and empowerment of women.

She was also accorded a ceremonial reception and Guard of Honour at the Presidential Palace, Dili, as she arrived in the Southeast Asian country on the last leg of her three-nation visit.

The President also held a bilateral meeting with President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste, underlining the strong connection and cooperation between the two democratic nations, and discussed opportunities for enhancing bilateral ties.

Addressing the press with her Timorese counterpart, President Murmu expressed gratitude to President Horta and the people of Timor-Leste for giving the Indian delegation a generous reception.

"I am deeply honoured by the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste bestowed upon me. This is a reflection of the deep bond of friendship between India and Timor-Leste," the President said, saying that the honour is a "reflection of the ties of friendship" between the two nations.

"India and Timor-Leste share warm and friendly relations based on our shared commitment to the values of democracy and pluralism. I am confident that this will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries," President Murmu said.

"I had extensive discussions with President Ramos-Horta today on enhancing the bilateral cooperation between India and Timor Leste in the fields of IT, digital technology, health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, capacity building and more," she added.

Both the leaders also discussed the possibility of Timor-Leste joining the International Solar Alliance.

The President also paid floral tributes to V. V. Giri, former President of India, on his birth anniversary at Dili.

President Murmu arrived in Dili, Timor-Leste, on Saturday, on the last leg of her three-nation visit. This marks the first-ever visit by the Indian head of state to the Southeast Asian country.

Later in the day, the President will also attend a community reception with the Indian diaspora in Timor-Leste, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Earlier, President Murmu visited Fiji and New Zealand during her three-nation visit, where she discussed bilateral ties and cooperation across various sectors.

MEA said earlier this week that the State Visit by President Murmu to Fiji, New Zealand and Timor-Leste underscores the importance India attaches to its bilateral relations with these countries and reflects New Delhi's strong focus on the Act East policy, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ninth East Asia Summit in 2014.