Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India in the early hours of Monday after his six-day visit to the US and Egypt during which he signed several landmark agreements. He was received at the Delhi airport by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi and BJP chief J P Nadda. Other BJP leaders and party MPs from Delhi such as Harsh Vardhan, Hans Raj Hans, and Gautam Gambhir were also present to welcome him.
"We congratulated him (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and told him that he shined bright (during the state visit)," BJP MP Hans Raj Hans told news agency ANI.
Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi emphasised that "the respect and honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi received during this state visit, that is for the whole nation."
"The respect and honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi received during this state visit, that is for the whole nation," she added.
When asked about the Order of the Nile, Egypt's highest state honour, conferred to PM Modi, she said, "Egypt's place in Arab countries is as a mother's place, and in that when the PM is honoured with the order of the Nile, it is also an honour for India."
BJP leader Pravesh Verma told news agency PTI, "The Prime Minister's visit to America was a successful one. Also, it is a matter of pride for all of us that he has been conferred with the highest state honour of Egypt."
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PM Modi's US, Egypt State Visits
The Prime Minister had embarked on his visit to the US on June 20 and in New York, he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga on June 21.
Later, in Washington DC, US President Joe Biden gave him a red-carpet welcome at the White House. The two leaders held a historic summit on Thursday, followed by PM Modi's address to US Congress and a State Dinner hosted at the White House by the Bidens in his honour.
Several major deals were finalised to boost cooperation in key areas such as defence, space and trade.
The Prime Minister then proceeded to Cairo on Saturday after concluding his high-profile state visit to the US. He was received at the airport by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
He concluded his first-ever visit to Egypt Sunday evening. During the visit, he held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and was conferred the Arab country's highest honour 'Order of the Nile'.
Modi and Sisi deliberated ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries with a focus on improving trade and investments, energy ties and people-to-people ties. The two countries elevated their relationship to a "Strategic Partnership".
President El-Sisi conferred Modi the 'Order of the Nile' award - Egypt's highest state honour. This is the 13th highest state honour conferred upon Prime Minister Modi.