Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran will be conferred with Japan's second highest national award for his contributions to strengthen the strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding between India and Japan.

The Government of Japan on Tuesday announced that in its 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations, it will confer 72-year-old Saran, 'the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star'.

Saran, who was India's Foreign Secretary during 2004-2006, has played an important role to elevate Japan-India relationship to strategic partnership, the Embassy of Japan said in a statement.

During his tenure, the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited India for the first time in 5 years, the statement said.

Saran's contributions in strengthening mutual understanding between Japan and India includes "India Festival", which was held in Japan in 1988, when he was Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of India in Japan, it said.

Since 2017, Saran has been enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries, such as by hosting an "India-Japan Colloquium," it said.

'The Order of the Rising Sun' is a Japanese government honour established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji.

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