India’s ambassador to Iceland Mahesh Sachdev met with President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at his residence Bessastadir outside Reykjavík on Monday to formally announce that Grímsson would be presented with the prestigious Nehru Award.
President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil will later present the award to Grímsson at a special ceremony in the presidential palace in New Dehli in the presence of the Indian government and other officials, visir.is reports.
Iceland’s President receives the award for 2007. In addition to a diploma and a trophy, Grímsson will receive a prize worth five million Indian rupies, about USD 125,000 and EUR 79,000. Others who have received the Nehru Award include Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa.
The Nehru Award is meant to acknowledge contribution to international cooperation and friendship between nations. A statement issued by the jury stated that Grímsson earned the award for his close cooperation with India since he first visited the country in 1983.
The Nehru Award was established to honor the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru, a leader of India’s fight for independence and the country’s first prime minister. Nehru served as Prime Minister of India between 1947 and 1964.
