The Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust on Tuesday announced that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be honoured with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2013 for her exemplary leadership in Europe and the world during the financial crisis and her stewardship of German economic growth.
An international jury headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has chosen her.
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.
Describing Ms. Merkel, who became the first woman to be elected as Chancellor of Germany, as a strong supporter of close relations with India, the Trust 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 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Berlin in 2013 during which the German participation in the ambitious “Green Energy Corridors Project” was finalised.
