PM Modi invites Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali to AI Impact Summit, BRICS meet in India

Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed Ali, to attend the AI Impact Summit and the BRICS Summit, both scheduled to be hosted by India in 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

Briefing the media on the Prime Minister’s visit to Ethiopia, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela said that India will assume the chairship of the BRICS grouping for a period of one year beginning January 1, 2026.

Dalela informed that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament later on Wednesday, marking a significant moment in bilateral parliamentary engagement between the two countries.

During the course of the day, the Prime Minister will also hold interactions with the Speaker of the Ethiopian Parliament and several senior leaders of the country.

As part of his official engagements, Prime Minister Modi will visit the Adwa Museum and pay homage at the Adwa Victory Memorial, underscoring the historical and cultural connection between the two nations.

According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday and was accorded a warm and enthusiastic welcome.

In a special gesture reflecting the close personal rapport between the two leaders, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali personally drove Prime Minister Modi to the National Science Museum and Friendship Park in Addis Ababa.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace, where he inspected the Guard of Honour.

The two leaders subsequently held detailed bilateral discussions covering a wide range of issues, including political cooperation, economic engagement and strategic partnership.

The MEA said that Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy for Ethiopia’s strong and consistent support to India in the fight against terrorism “in all its manifestations”.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding spanning key sectors of cooperation.

“These include agreements on customs cooperation, training for United Nations peacekeeping missions, and the establishment of a data centre at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Dalela said.

Cooperation in the education sector received a major boost with a decision to double the number of scholarships for Ethiopian students under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations programme.

India will also offer specialised short-term courses in Artificial Intelligence under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation initiative.

“Our education partnership with Ethiopia is very strong. We offer scholarships to many Ethiopian students for higher education, and there is a lot of interest here in coming to India to study. The Prime Minister has announced the doubling of scholarship slots for Ethiopians,” Dalela said.

The Ministry of External Affairs has also released the official outcomes of the Prime Minister’s visit, highlighting the elevation of India-Ethiopia relations to the level of a Strategic Partnership as a major milestone.

Among the key agreements announced were an accord on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters, a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up a data centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an implementing arrangement to enhance cooperation in training for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

India and Ethiopia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, signalling closer coordination between the two countries on economic and financial matters.

In the healthcare sector, India has committed to supporting capacity enhancement at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Addis Ababa, with a special focus on strengthening maternal healthcare and neonatal care services.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday to a rousing welcome, marking an important leg of his official overseas visit.

The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and underlines the growing strategic, economic and diplomatic significance of India-Ethiopia relations.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi was also conferred Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia’, for which he expressed his deep gratitude to the government and the people of the African nation.

IANS