Japan to honour former minister Ashwani Kumar

New Delhi, April 29

Japan today announced its decision to confer Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar. The honour is bestowed upon foreign nationals in recognition of distinguished accomplishments of individuals.

The decoration is the highest among the Orders of the Rising Sun, which would be presented to Kumar at a ceremony to be held at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, on May 9. The recipients of the honour would be given an audience with Japanese Emperor, the Japanese Embassy said here.

Ashwani Kumar served as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan on the occasion of the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan to India in December 2013 and significantly contributed to the success of the visit. He was the Accompanying Minister to PM Shinzo Abe when he visited India in 2007 and was the Chairman of FICCI India-Japan Forum of Parliamentarians set up during the India visit of ex-PM Junichiro Koizumi in 2005. — TNS