Addis Ababa, Dec 15 (IANS) Addis Ababa, the capital and largest city of Ethiopia, has been decked up with numerous hoardings and welcome posters ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the country, starting Tuesday.
The entire city is adorned with vibrant posters and Indian flags as the country anxiously awaits the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister since 2011.
PM Modi, who began his three-nation tour on Monday is currently in Jordan. He is scheduled to depart for the second leg of the visit and reach Ethiopia on Tuesday - his first visit to the country - which will be followed by a visit to Oman.
Ethiopia is India's important and trusted partner in Global South and the African context and PM Modi will be holding several significant engagements during his two-day visit which comes at the invitation of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
"Addis Ababa is also the headquarters of the African Union. In 2023, during India's G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20. In Addis Ababa, I will hold detailed discussions with H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali and also have the opportunity to meet the Indian diaspora living there. I will also have the privilege to address the Joint Session of Parliament, where I eagerly look forward to sharing my thoughts on India's journey as the 'Mother of Democracy' and the value that the India–Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South," PM Modi stated in his departure statement on Monday.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister has been a prominent participant and key speaker during the past editions of the Voice of Global South. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the current visit reflects India's commitment towards deepening South-South cooperation and strengthening of partnership with Africa.
"The visit will also help consolidate cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas including economy, trade, culture, and people-to-people contacts. On the economic front, discussions are expected to focus on diversifying trade, enhancing connectivity, and identifying new opportunities for investment in infrastructure, IT, mining, agriculture and manufacturing," said Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ahead of PM's visit.
"India and Ethiopia share a long history of partnership in the sector of education, skilling, and capacity building. India has been offering scholarship and training opportunities to Ethiopian students and professionals through ITEC and ICCR scholarships. Here it is worth mentioning that several of the presidents or vice presidents, which are equivalent to vice chancellors or registrars of Indian universities in Ethiopia, have studied in India under ICCR and other government-sponsored scholarship schemes. Therefore, ITEC continues to be a vital platform for skill upgradation and re-skilling for human resource development in Ethiopia," she added.
The visit is also expected to reinforce the strong role of the Indian diaspora in Ethiopia which serves as a natural bridge between the two countries.
"Climate action will be another important pillar of cooperation. India continues to support Ethiopia's renewable energy initiatives through the International Solar Alliance and International Solar Alliance engagement in Ethiopia has progressed substantially with several initiatives such as the establishment of Solar Technology Application Resource Center (STARC) at Addis Ababa University. Also, completion of Ethiopia's first ever grid connected solar rooftop and many other such activities," stated Malhotra.
"The visit reaffirms India's role as a trusted and long-term partner for Ethiopia. India remains committed to working with Ethiopia to build a stable, secure and inclusive global order and in advancing Africa's priorities in line with Agenda 2063 and common global objectives. We feel that the upcoming visit is expected to give renewed momentum to bilateral ties and chart new pathways for cooperation in the years ahead," she mentioned further.
--IANS
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