New Delhi/Johannesburg, Nov 23 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg. The Prime Minister shared details of the interaction in a post on X, noting the long-standing relationship between the two countries and their plans to strengthen cooperation in key sectors.

"Met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. India and Ethiopia share a partnership rooted in history and strengthened by developmental cooperation. We will keep boosting ties in sectors like technology, skilling, and more," PM Modi wrote.

While details of the meeting were not immediately available, the Prime Minister's remarks underline continuity in India's engagement with Ethiopia, one of Africa's largest economies and a long-standing partner in capacity-building, trade and development programmes.

India and Ethiopia share diplomatic ties dating back more than seven decades. Ethiopia is among the major recipients of Indian Lines of Credit in Africa, covering projects in power transmission, rural electrification, railways, and agriculture-related infrastructure. Indian companies are also active investors in Ethiopia in sectors such as manufacturing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and information technology.

Both countries have regularly engaged through the India-Africa Forum Summit framework, bilateral joint commissions and development partnership initiatives. India has provided extensive training programmes to Ethiopian professionals under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scheme, including in areas such as IT, governance, public administration, healthcare, and vocational skills.

Technology collaboration and skilling -- highlighted in the Prime Minister's X post -- have been consistent elements of bilateral cooperation. India has supported digital capacity-building projects in Ethiopia, including IT training centres and institutions linked to science and engineering education.

Saturday’s meeting took place as India continues its outreach to African partners at multilateral platforms. Ethiopia’s participation in the Summit follows the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 during India's presidency, a decision welcomed by both sides as a step towards broader representation of the Global South in global economic governance.

Prime Minister Modi's brief interaction with Abiy Ahmed Ali adds to a series of high-level exchanges he has held with world leaders on the margins of the Summit, which has focused on issues including sustainable development, global economic stability, digital cooperation and multilateral reforms.

--IANS

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