PM Modi’s Ethiopia Visit a Historic Moment Ahead of India Chairing 2026 BRICS Summit: Envoy Rai
Indian envoy highlights strengthening of bilateral ties and cooperation on UN reforms and BRICS agendas during two-day state visit
ADDIS ABABA, Dec 15: With India set to chair the BRICS summit in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Ethiopia represents a “very historic moment” that is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen collaboration on international issues, including UN reforms and BRICS agendas, said India’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai.
Speaking ahead of the two-day state visit from December 16 to 17, Ambassador Rai highlighted the long-standing and friendly relationship between the two countries and their status as important partners on global platforms, noting that both are members of the BRICS grouping.
“PM Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ethiopia in the last 15 years. This is a very historic moment, and there is a rich agenda for discussion,” Rai said. “The visit will strengthen cooperation bilaterally, and as both countries are BRICS members, we will also discuss regional issues, UN reforms, and the broader BRICS agenda. India’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2026 makes Ethiopia an important partner in these discussions.”
India has been a founding member of the BRICS grouping since 2006, with the first summit held in Russia in 2009. Ethiopia officially joined BRICS in January 2024, along with Egypt, Iran, and the UAE, following an invitation extended under South Africa’s chairmanship in 2023.
Ambassador Rai added that multiple sectors will be under discussion during the visit, and the outcomes are expected to be shared with the media on the evening of December 16.
PM Modi’s visit to Ethiopia is part of the second leg of his three-nation tour, following his visit to Jordan, and is being undertaken at the invitation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister will hold wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of India-Ethiopia bilateral ties.
“As partners in the Global South, the visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of India and Ethiopia to strengthen friendship and bilateral cooperation,” the MEA said in a statement.
