EAM Jaishankar Reaches Ethiopia, Aims to Strengthen India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday as the final stop of his three-nation African tour, expressing optimism about strengthening India's strategic partnership with the East African country. He was welcomed by Ethiopian State Minister Berhanu Tsegaye. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was pleased to reach Addis Ababa and looked forward to constructive discussions aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation.

Ethiopia follows Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on the minister’s African itinerary. During his visit to Côte d’Ivoire, Jaishankar underscored India's commitment to development cooperation with African nations, emphasising that New Delhi’s initiatives are shaped by the needs and priorities of its partner countries. Speaking to alumni of India's Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Jaishankar said development partnership has remained a central pillar of India's engagement with Africa. He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's articulation of the Kampala principles guiding India's relations with the continent.

Jaishankar described ITEC as an important platform for sharing India's experience in development, security and governance, alongside technology, expertise and best practices. He noted that the programme also allows India to learn from participants and their experiences in partner countries. Established in 1964, ITEC marked its 62nd anniversary in 2026. The initiative covers more than 160 partner nations and offers nearly 10,000 fully funded training opportunities each year in fields including information technology, digital governance, public administration, agriculture, energy, skills development, defence and counterterrorism.

During his Côte d’Ivoire visit, Jaishankar also met Vice Prime Minister and Defence Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara to discuss expanding defence cooperation. His talks with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nialé Kaba focused on strengthening ties in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges.

The minister described Côte d’Ivoire as an important Indian partner in West Africa and reaffirmed New Delhi's support for the country's economic development, governance reforms and security priorities. He also highlighted the contribution of capacity-building initiatives, noting that Côte d’Ivoire had used around 800 ITEC training slots over the previous 12 years. Jaishankar's Ethiopia visit is expected to provide another opportunity to advance India's engagement with African countries through diplomatic dialogue, economic cooperation, capacity building and strategic partnerships.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.