Prime Minister addressed the Joint Session of Ethiopian Parliament. This was a special honor accorded to Prime Minister who is on his first bilateral visit to Ethiopia.
Prime Minister began his address by extending greetings of friendship and goodwill from the people of India to the lawmakers of Ethiopia. He noted that it was a privilege for him to be addressing the Parliament and through this temple of democracy speaking to the common people in Ethiopia- farmers, entrepreneurs, proud women and young people who are shaping the future of the country. He thanked the people and Government of Ethiopia for bestowing on him the highest award- Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. Given the salience of the relationship, Prime Minister expressed deep satisfaction that the age-old ties between the two countries have been elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit.
Recalling the civilizational ties between India and Ethiopia, Prime Minister underlined that both the countries combine ancient wisdom with modern ambition. In this context, he noted that India’s national song “Vande Mataram” and the Ethiopian national anthem both refer to their land as the mother. Alluding to the shared struggle of the two countries, Prime Minister highlighted the contribution of Indian soldiers who fought alongside fellow Ethiopians for their liberation in 1941. He expressed that it was an honor for him to pay tribute to the Adwa Victory Monument that symbolizes the sacrifices of the Ethiopian people.
Prime Minister conveyed India’s commitment to enhance and build stronger India-Ethiopia partnership. In this regard, he recalled the contribution of Indian teachers and Indian businesses to the growth and prosperity of Ethiopia. He shared India’s development experiences, including in the fields of digital public infrastructure, food processing and innovation and conveyed India’s readiness to continue its development support to Ethiopia in keeping with the latter’s priorities. Conveying India’s commitment to serve humanity as embodied in its principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” [the world is one family], he outlined that it was a privilege for India to supply Ethiopia with vaccines during the Covid pandemic.
Prime Minister emphasized that India and Ethiopia, as nations of the Global South, must stand together to give greater voice to developing countries. He thanked Ethiopia for their solidarity in strengthening the global fight against terrorism.
Highlighting the pivotal role of Addis Ababa, headquarters to the African Union, in realizing the dreams of African unity, Prime Minister stated that India was honored to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 during its presidency. He added that under 11 years of his government, India-Africa connections have grown manifold and the two sides have exchanged over 100 visits at the level of Heads of State and Government. He reflected upon India’s deep commitment to Africa’s development and underscored his proposal made at the Johannesburg G-20 Summit to launch “Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative” to train one million trainers in the continent.
Prime Minister thanked the Hon’ble Speaker for the opportunity to share India’s journey with a fellow democracy, noting that the Global South was writing its own destiny.
