New Delhi, June 17 -- Cyprus on Monday awarded the Order of Makarios III, one of the country's highest civilian honours, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the award as a symbol of peace, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Cypriot President Nikos Christodulides conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, the second highest of six grades of the award, on Modi at an official ceremony on the second day of his visit to the Mediterranean country. Modi dedicated the award to the friendship between the two countries. "I dedicate this award to friendly ties, shared values and mutual understanding between India and Cyprus," he said, speaking in Hindi. "This award is a symbol of peace, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity and our unbreakable commitment to our peoples' prosperity." Modi said he believed the active partnership between India and Cyprus will touch new heights in the coming days. "We will not only jointly strengthen the progress of our countries but will work together to build a peaceful and secure global environment," he said. He said the award is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians and their aspirations, and thanked Christodulides and the government and people of Cyprus. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post: "The honour reflects the enduring India-Cyprus bilateral partnership and shared commitment to work together for the common vision for peace, progress and prosperity." Notable recipients of the Order of Makarios III, named after the first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, include former president Pranab Mukherjee, King Abdullah II of Jordan, former German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Modi has received state honours from close to 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia's Order of King Abdul Aziz, the Order of the State of Palestine, the UAE's Order of Zayed, the Order of Fiji, and Egypt's Order of the Nile. Modi was set to arrive in Calgary, Canada on Monday evening to attend the G7 summit in Kananaskis, marking his first visit to Canada in a decade. Modi, who is on a three-nation tour, will arrive here from Cyprus at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Kananaskis gathering on June 16-17 is the Prime Minister's 6th consecutive participation in the G7 Summit. "At the summit, the Prime Minister will exchange views with leaders of G-7 countries, other invited outreach countries and Heads of International Organisations on crucial global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and Quantum-related issues," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in New Delhi. The Prime Minister will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, coming over a month after India's Operation Sindoor that targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attacks. Carney's invitation to Modi to attend the G7 Summit signalled the new government's intent to repair the ties with New Delhi that plummeted to an all-time low over the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. India had accused Justin Trudeau's government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil.Carney, an economist and political newcomer, took charge as Canada's new prime minister in March following the exit of Trudeau from the top office.After Trudeau's exit, New Delhi said it hoped to rebuild ties with Canada based on "mutual trust and sensitivity".In the last few months, the security officials of India and Canada resumed contact and both sides were looking at the possibility of appointing new high commissioners. Describing India and Canada as "vibrant democracies", the external affairs ministry said last week that New Delhi believes the forthcoming meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views and "explore pathways" to reset bilateral ties....