Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto has directed his secretary of State to bestow the country's highest honor to foreign nationals, the Aztec Eagle, on former U.S. Rep. David Dreier, pending approval of the Mexican Congress, a statement from Drier's office reported.

"Congressman Dreier's bipartisan efforts to strengthen the relationship between our two countries is needed now more than ever," Mexican Secretary of State for North America Ambassador Carlos Sada said at a ceremony held last week at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles.

Dreier, a Republican from California first elected to Congress in 1980, led the annual Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group for over three decades and introduced the first NAFTA legislation. He also organized support for the Merida security initiative and promoted comprehensive immigration reform.

"It is an honor to receive the Aztec Eagle, not for myself but rather for the many millions of Americans who know how important the relationship between our two great countries is," Dreier said.

Past recipients of the award include former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Walt Disney, Placido Domingo and Bill Gates.