Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday received the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia's most prestigious civilian honour.

PM Modi received the honour from President Vladimir Putin for his outstanding efforts to promote partnership and friendship between India and Russia.

Upon receiving the honour, PM Modi thanked Putin and Russia saying that it was a 'samman' for 140 crore Indians and a reflection of centuries-old friendship between the two countries.

"India-Russia ties have strengthened in the past 25 years under President Putin's leadership. We need to further encourage and support people-to-people partnership for a better future for the people of India and Russia", PM Modi said.

"The India-Russia partnership is critical. We believe that for peace and stability we must continue to make concerted efforts. We will work in this direction constantly", the PM added.

The Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus, and patron saint of Russia.

It was bestowed in a single class and was only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit. The ceremony was held at the grand Hall of the Order of Saint Andrew.

During the Tsarist era, it housed the throne of the incumbent monarch. More recently, it has been used to hold inaugurations of the Russian president.

Source: India Today