The French Government has appointed former Finance Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, Officier de la légion d’Honneur (Officer of the legion of Honour), the highest French civilian distinction, in recognition of his international action as Union Minister of Finance (1998-2002), then External Affairs (2002-2004), and his invaluable contribution to thought on international issues.
Giving the Honour to Sinha on Saturday, French Ambassador to India François Richier said as Minister of External Affairs, and Chair of the Indo-French Parliamentary Friendship Group since its very inception (2009-2014), Sinha contributed to the deepening of the Indo-French strategic partnership, launched during the visit of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Paris (September 1998) and the development of ties between France and India. Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the legion of Honour is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.