Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 10 June 2026 responded to a message from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, expressing gratitude for his warm words and reaffirming India's commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both nations and the broader Global South.

Context

In his post on X, PM Modi wrote: 'Thank you Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for your warm words. I fondly recall our meeting in Ethiopia last year and look forward to continuing our close cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples and the Global South.' The exchange underscores the personal diplomatic rapport that Modi has cultivated with Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has led Ethiopia since 2018.

The public acknowledgement signals that high-level communication between New Delhi and Addis Ababa remains active, with both leaders invested in sustaining momentum from their in-person engagement.

Policy Backdrop

India's engagement with Ethiopia stretches back to the 1950s, encompassing trade, education and development partnerships. The Third India-Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in 2015 formalised expanded lines of credit and capacity-building programmes with African partners, including Ethiopia.

A 2018 bilateral engagement between the two countries emphasised cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals and peacekeeping training — sectors where India has comparative strengths. Modi's Africa outreach has consistently been framed around South-South cooperation rather than traditional donor-recipient aid, a positioning that resonates strongly with African Union member states.

This approach gained further institutional weight during India's G20 presidency, when the African Union was admitted as a permanent member, a move championed by New Delhi.

Stakeholders and Impact

Indian exporters — particularly in pharmaceuticals, pulses and infrastructure services — stand to benefit from a deepened bilateral relationship with Ethiopia, one of Africa's fastest-growing economies. The Ethiopian agricultural sector, in turn, has looked to Indian technical expertise and concessional financing for modernisation.

Beyond bilateral trade, the reference to the Global South signals a shared interest in multilateral forums where both countries advocate for developing-nation priorities on climate finance, debt restructuring and technology transfer. Ethiopia serves as a significant node in India's broader Africa network alongside partners such as South Africa and Nigeria.

What's Next

Preparations for the next India-Africa Forum Summit are expected to gain pace through late 2026, with follow-up bilateral agreements on trade and defence training anticipated. PM Modi's stated desire to 'continue close cooperation' suggests further high-level contact — potentially a reciprocal visit or a sideline meeting at a multilateral summit — is being planned.

As India deepens its strategic and economic presence across the continent, the India-Ethiopia partnership will likely serve as a template for engagement with other East African nations seeking development partners outside traditional Western and Chinese frameworks.