SYLLABUS
GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Context: Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi undertook his first bilateral visit to Ethiopia, during which he was conferred the ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’ (Ethiopia’s highest honor) in recognition of his role in strengthening India–Ethiopia relations and global leadership.
More on the News
- PM Modi is the first global head of state to receive the highest honor of Ethiopia.
- PM Modi conveyed India’s support to Ethiopia’s accession process at the WTO, as well as membership to the New Development Bank.
- PM Modi has also invited Prime Minister Abiy to participate in the AI Impact Summit scheduled to be held in India in February 2026, as well as the BRICS Summit in 2026.
- Overall, it is the second visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ethiopia after Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Ethiopia in 2011.
Key Outcomes of the Visit
- India and Ethiopia signed eight MoUs, agreements fields of:
- Implementing Arrangement for Co-operation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Training
- Agreement on Co-operation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Custom Matters
- Establishing Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.
- Elevation of bilateral ties to ‘Strategic Partnership’
- Signing of the MoU on Debt Restructuring in respect of Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework
- Doubling of scholarships to Ethiopian scholars under Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship programme
- Specialised short-term courses to the students and professionals of Ethiopia in the field of Artificial Intelligence under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme
- India to help augment the capacity of the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa in the fields of maternal healthcare, neonatal care.
India-Ethiopia Relations
- Political Engagement: Ethiopia hosts the African Union (AU) headquarters, making it strategically important for India’s Africa diplomacy.
- Both nations cooperate in: UN, NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) and G-77.
- Economic ties: According to Department of Commerce, India’s total trade with Ethiopia stood at US$ 550.19/- million during 2024- 2025. During this period, India’s export to Ethiopia were US$ 476.81/- million and imports were US$ 73.38/- million. India is the second largest trading partner for Ethiopia.
- Security and Strategic Cooperation: Ethiopia and India both contribute significantly to UN peacekeeping missions.
- Ethiopia is a gateway to Horn of Africa and East African markets, contributing to India’s Africa policy and Act East–Africa maritime outreach.
- Indian Community: The Indian Diaspora in Ethiopia is estimated to about 2500. There are a number of Indian companies in this country.