Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing India's engagement with the African continent.
This marks Modi's first-ever visit to Ethiopia. He is expected to have high-level meetings and address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament.
The Ethiopian Government Communications Office issued a statement noting that the relationship between the two nations is expected to "usher the Africa-India relationship to a higher stage."
The statement said the visit confirms Ethiopia's position as a major diplomatic hub on the African continent, and that the talks are intended to strengthen cooperation and "jointly amplify the voice of the Global South."
Welcoming his counterpart, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed affirmed that the visit "underscores the growing ties between our two countries."
He added he looks forward to "meaningful engagements that will further deepen our cooperation across shared priorities."
Modi also underscored the historical connection, stating in a post on US social media company X, written in Ethiopia's local language, that "Ethiopia-India relations [are] deep and [we are] eager to strengthen the ties more."
His visit to Ethiopia marks his fifth stop on the continent this year, following previous visits to Mauritius, Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa.
These visits align with the "Ten Principles of India-Africa Cooperation" that Modi laid out during his 2018 visit to Uganda, which form the foundation of the new comprehensive economic and strategic collaboration between India and Africa.
These principles focus on joint work in trade and investment, agriculture, digital skill capacity building, health, clean energy, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security, and building a democratic global order.
