Brazilian President gets Nehru Award

New Delhi, June 4 (UNI) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was today honoured with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding- 2006.

Conferring the Award on Mr Silva at a function here, President A P J Abdul Kalam described him as the foremost leaders of Latin America whose contribution to furthering the relationship between Brazil and India would always be remembered.

Dr Kalam said Mr Silva had been able to bring about macro-level economic stability to Brazil for more than five years while following people friendly policies aimed at improving the conditions of the needy and the under privileged.

''This has resulted in Brazil having a steady GDP growth and also able to reach the eleven million unreached and remove their tears through its 'Zero Hunger' and Family Fund Programmes,'' he added.

Pointing out that environmental protection was the biggest challenge to humanity today, Dr Kalam praised the initiative taken by Brazil in using bio-fuel on a large scale, and called upon the two countries to work for the success of an International Bio-fuel Forum.

Dr Kalam also asked the two countries to work together in the evolution of the National Prosperity Index, his pet concept ''which could be used by many nations as a true measure of the prosperity and well being of a nation''.

UNI