German
Chancellor Angela Merkel will be the recipient of Indira Gandhi Prize
for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013. The 59-year-old Merkel
will be given the prestigious award for her leadership during the trying
financial crisis and her stewardship of German economic growth, Indira
Gandhi Memorial Trust announced. The award will be given by Indira
Gandhi Memorial Trust lauding her commitment to universal peace and
disarmament and her leadership role in strengthening productive. The
trust said the prize was being given to the German leader because of the
work done by her for promotion of global economic stability, her
commitment to universal peace and disarmament and her leadership role in
strengthening productive and mutually beneficial relations with India
and other developing countries.
Merkel,
who became the first woman to be elected as Chancellor of Germany, has
been a strong supporter of close relations with India, it said. Her
joint declaration with the Indian Prime Minister greatly strengthened
the Indo-German relations, leading to inter-governmental consultations
during her state visit to India in 2011 and PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to
Berlin in 2013 during which the German participation in the ambitious
Green Energy Corridors Project was finalised, it added.