Jun 26 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

France to salute SRK with its highest honour

New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





France has decided to honour Bolly wood actor Shah Rukh Khan with Legion of France, its highest distinction civilian or military. Sources here said French foreign minister Laurent Fabius will travel to Mumbai next week to confer the award of Officier de la Legion d'Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour) on Khan for his contribution to cinema. The only Bollywood actor to have received the same honour was Amitabh Bachchan in 2007. The “Légion d'Honneur“ is the highest distinction that can be conferred in France on a French citizen as well as on a foreigner. Lata Mangeshkar and Satyajit Ray are other notable winners of the honour from India.Fabius will start his three-day visit to India on June 30. His meeting with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj will be the first high-level interaction between the two countries since the NDA government assumed power. “After his meetings in Delhi on June 30 and July 1, the minister will travel to Mumbai for business meetings and give the highest French honour to the actor,“ said a source.
Fabius had earlier called up Swaraj to congratulate her after she took charge as external affairs minister. During his stay in India, Fabius will also participate in a discussion on “Sustainable Growth in Response to Climate Change“ along with environment minister Prakash Javadekar.
For India, France remains one of its most cherished strategic partners. It was the first country with which India entered into a civil nuclear cooperation agreement following the waiver given by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, enabling India to carry out nuclear commerce despite not having signed NPT.