PM Modi Meets PM Abiy Ahmed at BRICS Summit as India and Ethiopia Deepen Strategic Partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, with the two leaders reviewing progress in the India–Ethiopia Strategic Partnership and discussing opportunities to deepen cooperation.

The meeting took place as India hosts the BRICS Summit under its chairship and provided another opportunity for New Delhi and Addis Ababa to strengthen a relationship that has gained fresh momentum over the past year.

PM Modi and PM Abiy Ahmed reviewed bilateral cooperation across several important areas, including economic engagement, defence and security, and capacity building. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to expand the partnership further as India strengthens its engagement with Africa and Ethiopia develops its role within BRICS.

The talks built on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Addis Ababa in December 2025, which marked an important stage in the bilateral relationship and helped give renewed momentum to political, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Defence and security have emerged as increasingly important components of India–Ethiopia relations, alongside India’s longstanding contribution to training and capacity building. Economic cooperation also remains central as both countries explore opportunities for greater trade, investment and institutional engagement.

The two Prime Ministers exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest and agreed on the importance of maintaining close coordination in multilateral institutions. Their discussions reflected a wider convergence between India and Ethiopia on strengthening the representation and interests of developing countries in global decision-making.

Modi also welcomed Ethiopia’s participation in the 18th BRICS Summit and said its presence contributed to strengthening the collective voice of the Global South. Ethiopia became a full member of BRICS during the grouping’s recent expansion, giving Addis Ababa an increasingly prominent platform for engagement with major emerging economies.

For India, Ethiopia remains one of its important partners in Africa, with ties extending across diplomacy, development cooperation, education, training, trade and security. Ethiopia’s strategic location in the Horn of Africa and its diplomatic importance as the headquarters of the African Union further add to its significance in India’s engagement with the continent.

The September 12 Modi–Abiy Ahmed meeting therefore underlined the growing importance of the bilateral relationship within India’s wider Africa and Global South outreach, while BRICS provides the two countries with an additional platform to coordinate on economic development, multilateral reform and challenges facing emerging economies.