Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], December 15 (ANI): Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ethiopia from December 16 to December 17, India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai, said key sectors including investments from India, agriculture, mining, digital public infrastructure (DPI), and cybersecurity will be among the main items for discussion between the Indian delegation and Ethiopian leadership.
Ambassador Rai told ANI that education, health, defence and agriculture will also feature prominently, and the visit will cover the full range of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues. He said the talks will examine the entire gamut of the relationship between the two countries and review regional and global matters.
Rai emphasised agriculture as a priority, noting that about 80 per cent of Ethiopians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and said he expects wide-ranging discussions covering virtually all key areas.
He added that India plans to launch several projects in Ethiopia under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), including solar rooftops, regional solar connectivity, off-grid solutions and solar pumps, aimed at providing energy access to populations not connected to the national grid and supporting anti-poverty efforts.
The International Solar Alliance, a joint initiative originally proposed by India and France at COP21 in 2015, promotes solar energy solutions to address climate change. After a 2020 amendment to its Framework Agreement, ISA membership opened to all UN member states. Over 100 countries have signed the agreement and more than 90 have ratified it. The ISA aims to mobilise USD 1 trillion in solar investments by 2030 while reducing technology and financing costs.
Rai also noted that the Indian diaspora in Ethiopia, numbering around 2,500, is preparing a special outreach programme to welcome Prime Minister Modi, with activities including songs and poems planned for the evening of December 16.
PM Modi’s two-day state visit to Ethiopia is the second leg of his three-nation tour following Jordan. He is visiting at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this will be PM Modi’s first visit to Ethiopia, during which he will hold wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Abiy on all aspects of India-Ethiopia bilateral ties. The MEA said the visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of both nations, as partners in the Global South, to deepen friendship and cooperation. (ANI)
