Abu Dhabi, August 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the "Order of Zayed", the United Arab Emirates' highest civilian honour, before ending his visit to the nation. After receiving the honour, Modi departed from UAE for his two-day bilateral visit to neighbouring Bahrain. The PM will be returning to the nation on August 26.

The "Order of Zayed" award was conferred upon Modi for his role towards strengthening and deepening bilateral relations between the UAE and India in the last five years. Tax Exemption Order on PM Narendra Modi's Seoul Peace Prize Money of Rs 1.3 Crore Withdrawn

The honour was bestowed upon the Indian PM weeks after Pakistan called upon the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) -- a conglomerate of Muslim-majority nations -- to intervene in the crisis which has erupted in Jammu & Kashmir following the Modi government's decision to strip the region of autonomy.

Modi Departs For Bahrain:

Earlier in the day, Modi was informed about the untimely demise of former Cabinet colleague and veteran politician Arun Jaitley. The Prime Minister dialled the bereaved family and extended his condolences. The family members of Jaitley insisted upon Modi to not to cancel his foreign visit in interest of the nation.

Paying his tributes to Jaitley, Modi issued a statement on social media recalled the late BJP veteran as a "valued friend" who had a deep insight on matters of governance.

"With the demise of Arun Jaitley Ji, I have lost a valued friend, whom I have had the honour of knowing for decades. His insight on issues and nuanced understanding of matters had very few parallels. He lived well, leaving us all with innumerable happy memories. We will miss him," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2019 05:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).