Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday conferred with Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia, during his first bilateral visit to the country.Speaking after receiving the award, PM Modi said it was a matter of pride to be honoured by “a very ancient and prosperous civilisation”. He said he accepted the award on behalf of all Indians and described it as a recognition of the many Indians who have contributed to strengthening India–Ethiopia ties.PM Modi also said, “On this occasion, I also express heartfelt gratitude to my friend PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. Last month, when we met during the G20 Summit in South Africa, with great love and right, you had urged me to visit Ethiopia. How could I have turned down this invitation from my friend, my brother? So, at the first chance, I decided to come to Ethiopia.”During the visit, India and Ethiopia agreed to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership. PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, where the two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues.“We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties,” Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.PM Modi said the talks focused on cooperation in areas including economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral forums. On Wednesday, PM Modi is scheduled to address a joint session of Ethiopia’s Parliament, where he will speak about India’s democratic journey and the value of the India–Ethiopia partnership for the Global South.PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held talks with King Abdullah II and signed several agreements to boost bilateral cooperation. He will next travel to Oman on the final leg of his three-nation tour.
