15 Jan : Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Thursday.
Patil hailed Grimsson as a remarkable leader with a global vision and a proponent of peace and understanding as she presented the Award to him at a ceremony attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The Award comprises a memento, a scroll of honour and a Rs 50 lakh purse.
Grimsson dedicated the funds associated with the Nehru Award to promote cooperation between scientists of the two countries in understanding glaciers and water resources in the Himalayas.
“India values your close association and friendship of over a quarter of a century and appreciates your personal contribution in furthering India-Iceland relations. We are aware of your deep fondness for India,” Patil said.
It is, therefore, a privilege to honour a true friend of India and an outstanding leader of Iceland, she said.
“You have by your personal example encouraged political leaders to go beyond the issues that divide people and parties to demonstrate statesmanship in the interest of our common good,” Ansari said in his brief remarks.