PM Modi and Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed signed multiple MoUs elevating ties to a Strategic Partnership, covering cooperation in customs, debt restructuring, AI training, healthcare, and data infrastructure.
Modi received Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, the Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia, becoming the first global Head of State or Head of Government to receive the award.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Ethiopia in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties. During his three-country visit to West Asia, Modi marked a significant milestone in India–Ethiopia relations, including agreements on customised cooperation, establishment of a data centre, and UN peacekeeping training, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
India and Ethiopia signed an MoU on debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, while educational exchanges received a boost with doubled ICCR scholarships for Ethiopian students and specialised AI courses under ITEC, reports said. In the healthcare sector, India will support the upgrade of Addis Ababa’s Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, with a focus on maternal and neonatal care.
1 December 2025
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Other important agreements included the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, an Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, and an MoU for the establishment of a data centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali also bestowed Modi with the “Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia,” the country’s highest award, for his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations and for his “visionary leadership,” reports said.
“An honour commemorating the deep India–Ethiopia civilizational ties. PM Narendra Modi was bestowed with the ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’, the country’s highest award, by H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening bilateral relations and for his visionary leadership,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on X.
Modi is the first global Head of State or Head of Government to receive this honour. “The honour belongs to the countless Indians who have shaped and strengthened our partnership over the years,” Modi said.
