By TESFA-ALEM TEKLE
December 15,2025 (TORONTO) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit to Ethiopia has been described as a “historic moment” that is expected to significantly strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation on global issues, including United Nations reforms and the BRICS agenda, according to India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai.
Speaking ahead of the Prime Minister’s two-day visit scheduled for December 16–17, Ambassador Rai underscored the long-standing and friendly ties between the two countries, noting that both India and Ethiopia are ancient civilisations and key partners in multilateral diplomacy.
“This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ethiopia in the past 15 years, making it a very historic occasion,” Rai said adding “There is a rich and wide-ranging agenda for discussions that will further strengthen bilateral cooperation.”
The visit comes at a time when India is preparing to assume the chairmanship of the BRICS bloc in 2026, a grouping in which Ethiopia became a full member in January 2024.
Rai noted that the two countries share common positions on several international issues, including reforms of the UN system and cooperation within BRICS.
“India and Ethiopia are important partners on international and regional issues. With Ethiopia now an active member of BRICS and India set to chair the grouping in 2026, discussions on BRICS priorities will feature prominently during the visit,” he said.
BRICS was formally established in 2006 during a meeting of foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and held its first summit in Russia in 2009.
The group expanded in 2010 with the inclusion of South Africa. Ethiopia joined the bloc following an invitation extended in August 2023 under South Africa’s chairmanship, alongside Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Ambassador Rai added that discussions are ongoing across multiple sectors and that outcomes of the visit are expected to be shared with the media on the evening of December 16.
Prime Minister Modi’s Ethiopia visit forms the second leg of his three-nation tour, following his visit to Jordan. He is travelling at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, this will be Modi’s first official visit to Ethiopia and will include wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Abiy on all aspects of bilateral relations.
“As partners in the Global South, the visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of India and Ethiopia to deepen friendship and expand bilateral cooperation,” the ministry said.
India and Ethiopia share a long history of diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations dating back to the early years of African independence. India was among the first countries to establish formal diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, and the relationship has since expanded to include cooperation in trade, education, health, defence, and capacity building.
Thousands of Ethiopians have benefited from Indian technical training and scholarship programmes, while Indian investments have played a growing role in Ethiopia’s manufacturing, pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors.
In recent years, relations between the two countries have gained renewed strategic importance as both position themselves as leading voices of the Global South. Ethiopia’s accession to the BRICS bloc in January 2024 marked a significant shift in its global engagement, aligning it more closely with emerging economies such as India. Against this backdrop,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit comes at a pivotal moment, as India prepares to chair BRICS in 2026 and both nations seek to strengthen coordination on multilateral reform, development financing and South–South cooperation.
