Jul 8, 06:05 PM

Brazil Awards Modi Top Honour as Leaders Set US$20 Billion Trade Goal

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on 8 July conferred the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross—Brazil’s highest civilian decoration—on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a ceremony at the Alvorada Palace in Brasília. The honour followed delegation-level talks at which the two leaders reviewed political, economic and security cooperation, signed a clutch of agreements and set a goal to raise India–Brazil merchandise trade to about US$20 billion within five years. President Lula reiterated Brazil’s “firm condemnation” of last week’s terror attack in Pahalgam and expressed solidarity with India. Modi invited Lula to make a state visit to New Delhi, an invitation the Brazilian leader accepted. The award represents Modi’s 26th international distinction since 2014 and highlights the deepening strategic alignment between the two largest emerging economies in the Global South.