Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Addis Ababa on a two-day state visit to Ethiopia at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking the second stop of his ongoing three-nation tour. PM Modi’s visit to Ethiopia follows his trip to Jordan from December 15 to 16 at the invitation of King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein. After concluding his engagements in Addis Ababa, he is scheduled to travel to Oman, completing his three-nation tour.
Strengthening India-Africa ties in focus
PM Modi’s visit to Ethiopia comes amid expanding India-Ethiopia engagement, with Ethiopia viewed as an important and reliable partner for India in Africa and across the Global South. Official engagements during the visit are expected to give further momentum to bilateral cooperation in several key areas. PM Modi is expected to hold wide-ranging discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed, focusing on political engagement, development partnership, trade, investment and people-to-people ties. Both leaders are expected to reiterate their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation as partners in the Global South.
The significance of the visit was evident across Addis Ababa, where extensive preparations were made ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival, including welcome hoardings, posters, and Indian flags displayed throughout the city. The Ministry of External Affairs said the visit reflects India’s sustained focus on strengthening South-South cooperation and deepening its engagement with Africa.
Upon landing in Addis Ababa, PM Modi shared a post on X, highlighting India and Ethiopia’s deep civilisational ties. He wrote, “Landed in Addis Ababa a short while ago. Honoured by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s gesture of welcoming me at the airport. Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture. India and Ethiopia share deep civilisational ties. I look forward to engaging with the Ethiopian leadership to further strengthen our partnership in diverse areas.” (With inputs from ANI)
አዲስ አበባ ደርሻለው። በጠቅላይ ሚኒስተር አቢይ አህመድ አሊ በአውሮፕላን ማረፊያ ስለተደረገልኝ አቀባበል አመስግኛለው። ኢትዮጵያ ታላቅ ታሪክ እና የደመቀ ባህል ያላት ሀገር ነች። ህንድ እና ኢትዮጵያ ጥልቅ የሆነ የስልጣኔ ትስስርም አላቸው።… pic.twitter.com/FACoIy7V8v
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2025
