Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali himself dropped Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Addis Ababa Airport on December 17, 2025. Modi was leaving for Muscat, Oman, the last stop of his three-nation tour that began in Jordan, and Abiy Ahmed bid him a heartfelt farewell.
The gesture was similar to Abi’s warm welcome to Modi upon his arrival on December 16, when he himself welcomed the Indian leader, dropped him at his hotel, and even took him to cultural sites without any scheduled itinerary.
The visit resulted in the elevation of India-Ethiopia relations to the level of **Strategic Partnership** with both leaders signing several MoUs in areas such as customs, peacekeeping training and digital infrastructure. Modi was awarded Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, The Great Honor Mark of Ethiopia.
Addressing a joint session of the Ethiopian parliament – which was Modi’s 18th worldwide – he received a sustained standing ovation for about 90 seconds at the end of his speech, and more than 50 applause during his speech. Modi highlighted shared civilizational ties, India’s development support, supply of COVID vaccine under “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, and cooperation as a voice for the Global South. He paid tribute to the role of Indian soldiers in the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941 and India’s support for G20 permanent membership of the African Union.
Since Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the African Union, the visit further strengthened India-Africa engagement amid growing trade, investment and capacity-building ties.
Modi’s first bilateral visit to Ethiopia underlined mutual trust, with both countries committing to greater cooperation in the economy, defence, health and innovation.
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