The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on H.E. Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil at a function organized in Rashtrapati Bhavan today (November 22, 2012).

The President stated that this prestigious award celebrates the legacy of the Late Shrimati Indira Gandhi as an untiring crusader for global peace, universal disarmament and a new international economic order. He said Shrimati Indira Gandhi would be remembered for her untiring efforts at maintaining cohesion, unity and enhanced economic co-operation among developing nations.

The President described former President of Brazil as an outstanding champion of the developing world. He stated that during President Lula's presidency relations between India and Brazil steadily progressed and the seeds were sown of a close partnership in the IBSA, BRIC, G-20 and BASIC.

The Prize has been awarded to His Excellency President Lula of Brazil for his outstanding contribution to the cause of eliminating hunger and promoting inclusive growth in Brazil, for his advocacy of stronger ties among the developing economies and for his signal contribution to the cause of the India-Brazil partnership.

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded annually to a person or organization without any distinction of nationality, race or religion, in recognition of creative efforts towards enlarging the scope of freedom and enriching the human spirit. It consists of an award of Rs. 2.5 million and a trophy with a citation.

Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also addressed the gathering on the occasion.

This release issued at 1345 hrs