Abiy, India’s Modi Eye Strong Ties after Ethiopia’s Entry to BRICS

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has held a discussion with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over “key areas of mutual interest”.

The bilateral meeting in Johannesburg was held hours after the BRICS leaders endorsed Ethiopia’s bid to join the economic bloc of five nations, representing a quarter of the global economy.

Per Abiy, Ethiopia-India contemporary relations span seven decades while the historic ties between the two countries dates back to 2000 years of recorded history.

“In our fruitful bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have agreed to strengthen political and economic cooperation in key areas of mutual interest,” Abiy said.

The Indian PM also described his talks with PM Abiy as “fruitful” in a message posted on X, He also added, “We discussed ways to boost ties in sectors like trade, defense and people-to-people relations.”

Modi Welcomes Ethiopia and Co to BRICS

Apart from Ethiopia, the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa endorsed the full membership of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Argentina, effective from January 2024.

India’s Modi has said India has always fully supported the expansion, stating “Such an expansion will make BRICS stronger and more effective.”

“In that spirit, India welcomes Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE into the BRICS family,” the Indian PM told reporters in Johannesburg.