Addis Ababa, September 12, 2026 (FMC) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underscored the potential of India and Ethiopia’s longstanding friendship to contribute to stronger India–Africa ties and amplify the voice of the Global South, following talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
Welcoming Prime Minister Abiy on his first visit to India, Prime Minister Modi said the two countries are taking their “old friendship into new frontiers,” highlighting the breadth of cooperation discussed between the two leaders.
In a social media post following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said the talks covered defence, capacity building, investment linkages, critical minerals, clean energy and healthcare, identifying areas with potential to further deepen the Ethiopia–India partnership.
He also said India and Ethiopia would work together to strengthen India–Africa ties and “amplify the voice of the Global South,” placing the bilateral relationship within a wider framework of African engagement and South-South cooperation.
The discussions reflect the longstanding historical and people-to-people bonds between Ethiopia and India, while pointing to an increasingly practical dimension of the relationship focused on strategic cooperation, investment, technology, skills, clean energy and development.
The latest engagement also comes as Ethiopia and India participate in the broader BRICS platform, where cooperation among countries of the Global South is being advanced across economic, development and global governance priorities.
Ethiopia’s participation in the expanded grouping provides an additional avenue for Addis Ababa and New Delhi to pursue shared interests and strengthen South-South partnerships.
For India, closer engagement with Ethiopia also carries a wider African dimension. Ethiopia’s role as the headquarters of the African Union and its longstanding position in continental diplomacy provide an important platform for strengthening India–Africa relations, while Ethiopia’s growing engagement with major Global South platforms creates additional space for cooperation.
The meeting builds on renewed high-level engagement between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi made his historic first bilateral visit to Ethiopia on December 16–17, 2025, while Prime Minister Abiy’s current trip marks his first official visit to India, giving fresh momentum to reciprocal engagement and efforts to translate the countries’ longstanding friendship into broader practical cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi’s remarks come as India hosts the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit on September 12–13 under its 2026 chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The summit brings together leaders and senior representatives of the expanded BRICS membership, partner countries and major international institutions to advance cooperation on shared global priorities.
The Ethiopia–India engagement in New Delhi therefore carries significance beyond the bilateral relationship, linking the two countries’ expanding cooperation with wider efforts to strengthen India–Africa relations, deepen South-South partnerships and give greater weight to the voice of the Global South in international affairs.