Romanian President Traian Basescu signed a decree to bestow posthumously the National Order of the Star of Romania, in the rank of Great Cross, on poet Grigore Vieru, the Romanian presidential PR department said in a statement, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The poet was honored with Romania's highest civilian award “in recognition and high esteem for the love and talent which he employed during his entire life to champion, through the power of the word, the cause of living together in peace and understanding; he remains in the souls of all the Romanians as a symbol of the brotherly alliances of those speaking the same language”, the statement reads. 19 years ago, Grigore Vieru became honorary member of the Romanian Academy. Also the Romanian Academy nominated Vieru for the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. Poet Grigore Vieru died on Sunday, January 18, four weeks before his 74th birthday, after spending nearly 48 hours in a coma induced by a car accident.