In January 2009, Ivory Coast conferred its highest award upon the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma. India's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharma accompanied by Ambassador Shamma Jain and a high-level delegation discussed an entire gamut of issues during his visit to Ivory Coast with President Laurent Gbagbo that included the UN reforms, expansion of the UN Security Council and reshaping of the global financial infrastructure. Ivory Coast expressed its vociferous condemnation of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the forces behind it and reiterated its solidarity with India in its combat against terror. President Gbagbo reaffirmed his government's appreciation of India's leadership role, its economic strength, and above all, its willingness to share its expertise, technology and development experience with African countries. Against this backdrop, in a gesture that underlined the special ties with India, President Laurent Gbagbo conferred the Commander of the National Order, the country's highest civilian award in recognition of the Indian Foreign Minister's distinct role in strengthening India's relationship with Ivory Coast and the African continent.
