PM Modi with Jordan crown prince and Ethiopian PM (Images/PTI)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being accorded rare personal courtesies on his ongoing three-nation tour, with top leaders in both Jordan and Ethiopia personally escorting him during official engagements—an unusual diplomatic gesture reflecting the warmth and trust in India’s ties with key partners in West Asia and the Global South.Just hours after Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally drove PM Modi to the Jordan Museum and later bid him farewell, the Prime Minister received a similarly exceptional welcome in Ethiopia on Tuesday. PM Modi arrived in Addis Ababa on the second leg of his tour, marking his maiden bilateral visit to Ethiopia. He was personally received at the airport by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, who, in an exceptional gesture, drove the Indian leader to his hotel.
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During the drive, PM Abiy also took PM Modi on an unscheduled visit to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which were not part of the official itinerary. The two leaders held informal discussions during the drive, with PM Abiy briefing his Indian counterpart on Ethiopia’s famed coffee varieties. PM Modi also participated in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the airport and later shared photographs from the visit on X. “Honoured by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s gesture of welcoming me at the airport. Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture,” PM Modi said in a post on X.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the gestures as reflective of the importance Ethiopia attaches to its partnership with India. “India and Ethiopia share historical relations anchored in strong people-to-people ties. The special gesture by the Ethiopian leadership reflects the importance the two countries attach to each other as Global South partners,” the MEA said.During the two-day visit, PM Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with PM Abiy on all aspects of bilateral relations. He is also scheduled to address a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament, meet members of the Indian diaspora and share India’s experience as the “Mother of Democracy.” Addis Ababa is also the headquarters of the African Union, which was admitted as a permanent member of the G20 during India’s presidency in 2023.Ahead of the visit, the MEA said the trip would reaffirm the shared commitment of both nations to strengthen friendship and expand bilateral cooperation as partners in the Global South.PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he concluded a landmark visit marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In another rare gesture, Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II personally drove PM Modi to the Jordan Museum, while the Indian leader was also accorded exceptional courtesies by the Jordanian leadership.During his Jordan visit, PM Modi held one-on-one talks with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace, followed by delegation-level discussions. India and Jordan signed multiple MoUs covering culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and a twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora to boost bilateral ties.From Ethiopia, PM Modi will travel to Oman for the final leg of his three-nation tour, where he will hold talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. The MEA has said India and Oman share an all-encompassing Strategic Partnership rooted in centuries-old ties of friendship, trade and strong people-to-people connections.
