Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], December 15 (ANI): With India set to chair the BRICS summit in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to Ethiopia on December 16-17 is a “very historic moment” that will strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation on international issues, including UN reforms and BRICS agendas, India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai, said.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Ambassador Rai highlighted the two countries’ “long-standing, deep and friendly relationship” and noted that both are members of BRICS. He said Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ethiopia in 15 years and that the visit will cover a “big and rich agenda” to strengthen bilateral cooperation and address international and regional issues discussed within BRICS, noting India will chair BRICS in 2026 and Ethiopia is an important member.
India is a founding member of the grouping, which began as BRIC at a 2006 meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA and held its first summit in Russia in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010, forming BRICS. Ethiopia formally joined BRICS in January 2024, following an invitation in August 2023 under South Africa’s chairmanship; Egypt, Iran, and the UAE also became full members at that time.
Rai said multiple sectors are under discussion during the visit and that outcomes are expected to be conveyed to the media on the evening of December 16.
Modi’s visit to Ethiopia is the second leg of a three-nation trip that began with Jordan. He is visiting at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this will be Modi’s first visit to Ethiopia and will include wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of India-Ethiopia bilateral ties, reinforcing the two nations’ shared commitment as partners in the Global South to advance close friendship and cooperation. (ANI)
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