India, Ethiopia share warmth in climate and spirit, says PM

Hailing ties between India and Ethiopia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the two nations share warmth in climate and spirit and recalled how people started writing a new chapter in bilateral ties even before the diplomatic relations between the two nations had started.

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While addressing the Joint Session of the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday, Modi recalled the contribution of Indian teachers in the growth and prosperity of the African nation.

He noted that the connection between India and Africa has “grown manifold” over the ll years of his government and added that more than 100 visits at the level of Heads of State and Government have been exchanged.

“India and Ethiopia share warmth in climate as well as in spirit. Nearly 2000 years ago, our ancestors built connections across the great waters. Across the Indian Ocean, merchants sailed with spices, cotton, coffee and gold, but they traded more than goods; they exchanged ideas, stories and way of life. Ports like Adulis and Dholera were not just trade centres; they were bridges between civilisations,” he said.

In modern times, Modi said, the bilateral relationship “entered a new era” when Indian soldiers fought alongside Ethiopians for the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941.