PM Modi departs for Oman on last leg of three-nation visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for Oman from Ethiopia on the last leg of his four-day, three-nation visit.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali drove Modi to the airport and personally bid farewell to him as he departed for Oman.

In a social media post, Abiy said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, I hope we will get an opportunity to meet again. Our nations will always be connected by historical, cultural and diplomatic ties."

During Modi's maiden visit to the East African nation, the two countries elevated their historical ties to the level of 'Strategic Partnership'. He also held wide-ranging talks with Abiy, following which, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of various MoUs in various fields.

The Memoranda of Understanding were signed in the fields of UN Peacekeeping Operations Training, Mutual Administrative Assistance in the Customs Matters, and the establishment of Data Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia.

The two sides also announced debt restructuring under G20, more Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.

Modi also addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian parliament, during which he hailed the two countries as "natural partners" in regional peace, security and connectivity. This was the 18th parliament in the world that Prime Minister Modi has addressed.

"Delighted to have interacted with Ministers and MPs of Ethiopia after my address to the Ethiopian Parliament," he said in a post on X.

The prime minister was conferred Ethiopia's highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.

He also planted a sapling at the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives, as part of Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative and Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an X post.

"Two nations, two traditions, one shared promise to honour our Mother Earth and build a greener future," he said.

Modi on Wednesday underscored the outcomes of his visit to Ethiopia, calling the signing of multiple agreements a “significant” step in strengthening a bilateral partnership focused on "growth and people-centric development".

Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, with whom he will hold discussions on strengthening the Strategic Partnership as well as a strong commercial and economic relationship.

The visit will mark 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and follows the state visit of Sultan Tarik to India in December 2023.

Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Oman. It will be his second visit to Oman.

"This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in an earlier statement.