Lula Da Silva conferred J L Nehru award for international understanding

Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva was today conferred Jawahar Lal Nehru award for international understanding for his contribution to strengthening of bilateral ties between the two nations.

New Delhi June 4 : Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva was today conferred Jawahar Lal Nehru award for international understanding for his contribution to strengthening of bilateral ties between the two nations.

Lula Da Silva, who is on a three-day visit to the country to strengthen strategic and trade ties, said he was amazed with the cultural diversity of the country.

"When I visited old Delhi, I was struck by the proximity as on the same street there is a temple, a mosque, a gurudwara and a church. The mosaic of 5,000-year-old civilisations co-exists with the world's largest democracy. Nehru's political and humanistic vision inspired the political architecture that underlies this rich co-existence," Lula Da Silva said.

The award carries a trophy, a citation and cash prize of 2.5 million rupees.

The Brazilian President, who was accompanied by a 100-member business delegation, said he wanted to enhance the ties between the two countries.

Lula Da Silva has joined the list of international personalities like Helmut Kohl, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Nelson Mandela and Yasser Arafat who had earlier receive the award.

The award named after the country's first Prime Minister was constituted in 1965 as a tribute to him.

ANI