In a dinner banquet held last night, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed conferred the highest civilian honor, the Great Honor of Nishan, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.
The Prime Minister, who is in Ethiopia for a two-day official state visit, became the first foreign head of state to receive this honor, reported Indian media outlets.
“To be honoured by one of the world’s most ancient and rich civilisations is a matter of immense pride. This honour belongs to the countless Indians who have shaped and strengthened our partnership over the years”, Prime Minister Modi said in facebook post after receiving the award.
The award ceremony was followed by bilateral talks between the delegations of the two countries, which resulted in agreements across several fields.
India is a major economy in the Global South and a founding member of BRICS, which Ethiopia joined in 2024. For Ethiopia, hosting PM Modi serves to leverage its influence across institutions throughout the Global South.
The areas the two countries agreed to cooperate on include elevation of ties to a “Strategic Partnership” level, customs cooperation, establishment of data centers, debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework, the expansion of scholarships for Ethiopian students and AI training.
The leaders observed the formal signing of these agreements between their respective delegations.
Numbers in Ethio-India Relations
The trade relationship between the two countries is believed to trace back over 2,000 years, with spices, silk, gold, and ivory as the primary trading items. Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1950.
The latest figures show an increase in trade volume; however, the trade balance remains heavily in favor of India.
According to the December 2025 report from the Observatory of Economic Complexity(OEC) the Ethio-India trade volume for the 2023–2024 period stands well over USD 1.8 billion. India’s exports are dominated by pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and vehicles, worth approximately USD 1.64 billion. In contrast, Ethiopia’s exports to India totaled roughly USD139 million, with pulses and textiles featuring as the major commodities. Despite the increasing trade volume, the trade surplus remains in favor of India by a significant margin.
