Addis Ababa, September 4, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia and India are building on centuries of people-to-people connections to broaden their relationship into a more substantive partnership spanning development, technology, education, health and economic cooperation, Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla said, underscoring the enduring depth and expanding scope of ties between the two countries.
Speaking in an interview with DD India, Ambassador Nebiyu said Ethiopia–India relations have a foundation that extends well beyond modern diplomatic ties, with longstanding connections between the peoples of the two countries continuing to underpin contemporary cooperation.
Ethiopia was the first African country to open an embassy in India before the country gained independence, while formal diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and India date back to 1949. The historical depth of the relationship, he indicated, has provided a strong basis for its continued expansion into practical areas of mutual interest.
Today, the relationship encompasses a growing range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology and digital connectivity. The breadth of these areas reflects an increasingly development-oriented partnership in which both countries can exchange experience, expertise and technological capabilities.
For Ethiopia, India represents an important source of experience in areas directly relevant to the country’s development priorities. India’s diverse development experience and technological capabilities provide opportunities for knowledge-sharing, while Ethiopia’s own development agenda creates additional space for mutually beneficial economic and institutional cooperation.
The relationship has also been reinforced by sustained high-level political engagement. Ambassador Nebiyu pointed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Addis Ababa, during which the two countries signed agreements, as an important development in bilateral relations. He said attention is now being given to advancing the implementation of those agreements.
Ethiopia is further seeking to maintain high-level political momentum by facilitating a meeting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Such engagement, according to the envoy, would provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review bilateral priorities and further advance cooperation.
Ambassador Nebiyu also highlighted the importance of ensuring that cooperation developed through multilateral platforms contributes to stronger bilateral relations. Ethiopia seeks to translate areas of convergence and agreements reached in broader international forums into practical cooperation with India, creating additional avenues for advancing shared interests.
The Ethiopia–India relationship also carries significance beyond the immediate bilateral framework. Both countries are major actors in the Global South, with expanding economic and diplomatic engagement creating opportunities for greater exchange of development experience and closer cooperation on issues affecting emerging economies.
The envoy’s assessment places the relationship within this broader evolution: a partnership rooted in historical connections but increasingly shaped by contemporary development needs, technological transformation and expanding economic opportunities.
For Ethiopia and India, the combination of deep historical ties, sustained political engagement and an expanding development agenda provides a platform for taking bilateral relations into a broader phase of cooperation, while giving new practical meaning to a partnership that has endured across generations.