India, Ethiopia Elevate Ties to Strategic Partnership

On 16 December 2025, India and Ethiopia elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, marking a major step in strengthening cooperation between two Global South partners.

Key Points

Strategic Upgrade: The elevation of ties to a Strategic Partnership reflects shared civilisational links, strong people-to-people ties and a common vision for deeper political and economic cooperation.
Broad Cooperation Roadmap: Both sides agreed on a comprehensive roadmap to expand cooperation in trade and investment, health, digital infrastructure, education, defence, clean energy and multilateral engagement.
Key Agreements Signed: Both Prime Ministers witnessed the exchange of three MoUs covering customs cooperation, United Nations peacekeeping training and the establishment of a data centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Debt Restructuring Support: India signed a MoU on debt restructuring for Ethiopia under the G20 Common Framework, reaffirming its commitment to Africa’s economic stability and development.