Bar­ba­dos Wednes­day pre­sent­ed the Hon­orary Free­dom of Bar­ba­dos Award to In­dia’s Prime Min­is­ter, Shri Naren­dra Mo­di, with Bridgetown set to strength­en its com­mer­cial ties with the Asian coun­try as it con­tin­ues to ex­pand its diplo­mat­ic foot­print glob­al­ly.

For­eign Af­fairs and For­eign Trade Min­is­ter, Ker­ry Sym­monds, speak­ing dur­ing a  brief cer­e­mo­ny at which the coun­try’s  high­est award was pre­sent­ed, high­light­ed the shared com­mit­ment be­tween Bar­ba­dos and In­dia to ad­dress glob­al chal­lenges, par­tic­u­lar­ly in the ar­eas of cli­mate change and health­care.

Pres­i­dent Dame San­dra Ma­son pre­sent­ed the award to Pabi­tra Margheri­ta, In­dia’s Min­is­ter of State for Ex­ter­nal Af­fairs at the cer­e­mo­ny which was al­so at­tend­ed by Prime Min­is­ter Mia Mot­t­ley and of­fi­cials from both coun­tries.