Ethiopia
Historical linkages between India and Ethiopia go back about 2,000 years of recorded history. Trade between the two countries flourished during the ancient Axumite Empire (1st century AD), which is seen to be origin of modern Ethiopia. Indian traders flocked to the ancient port of Adulis in the 6th Century AD trading silk and spices for gold and ivory.
Modern diplomatic relations between India and Ethiopia were established at the level of legations in July 1948, after the independence of India. The relationship was raised to the ambassadorial level in 1952. India maintains an embassy in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia in New Delhi.
Relations between India and Ethiopia have been traditionally close and friendly. Ethiopia has been appreciative of the fact that India has never been hostile to Ethiopians interests. Ethiopia had been consistent in her support for India in the international fora on various issues. India and Ethiopia have a strong development partnership based on mutual understanding and respect, and sense of genuine partnership drawing on the principle of South-South cooperation. This partnership comprises of capacity-building cooperation through technical training, grants towards support to people and concessional lines of credit for projects based on the priorities identified by Ethiopia.
Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic
- India gifted medicines to counter Covid-19 pandemic in Aug 2020. India has supplied 4.2 million doses of made in India Covid-19 vaccines to Ethiopia under Covax scheme.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- ITEC programme was started in Ethiopia in 1969. ITEC slots have increased over the years reaching 400 (2018-19) and 406 (2019-20), where Ethiopian specialists and experts attended ITEC training facilities sponsored by Government of India.
- Ethiopia is presently one of the largest beneficiaries of training slots allocated under ITEC/SCAAP programmes. These courses pertain to areas such as management skills, human resources planning, IT, entrepreneurship development, managing water resources, fluid dynamics, energy, English language, etc.
- Ethiopia is a beneficiary of Government of India scholarships for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees under schemes such as ICCR scholarship, CV Raman fellowship, and research training fellowship of the NAM S&T Centre (New Delhi).
- The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers scholarships to students from African countries every year for Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies in India. Presently, Ethiopia is being offered 55 slots for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD courses.
- Ethiopian Minister of Women and Social Affairs H.E. Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye (PhD) was conferred ICCR Distinguished Alumni Award - 2021 in New Delhi (8 Aug 2022). She had completed her PhD from Andhra University.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- Vocational Training Centre/Incubation Centre in Addis Ababa (2013).
- India donated a 64-Slice CT Scan Machine to Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa as part of Grant Assistance.
- India donated 1000 MT of rice (July 2018).
- India gifted medicines worth USD 2 million (Nov 2019). Handing over ceremony of medicines gifted to Ethiopia (13 Nov 2019).
- Embassy of India in collaboration with Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti organized an Artificial Limb Fitment Camp (Jaipur Foot) in Nov/Dec 2019 under “India for Humanity” Project at St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa. During the camp, 538 limbs were fitted to beneficiaries. Artificial limb fitment project (29 Nov 2019).
- The flagship Pan African e-network Project, an Initiative of Govt. of India aimed at sharing Indian expertise in the fields of Healthcare and Education with member countries of the African Union Commission, was launched in Addis Ababa in July 2007.
- Tele-Education and Tele-Medicine services were being offered till recently at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa and in Addis Ababa University and were well-received. The Tele-Education project has been replicated by the Ethiopian side and linkages established between the Addis Ababa University and the Indian Institutes of Technology at Delhi and Kanpur.
- India donated Secondary school books for Mathematics and Sciences to Ethiopia in August 2020.
- Ethiopia is one of the largest recipients of long-term concessional credit from India in Africa. The ongoing GoI assistance in developmental projects in Ethiopia has continued with sanctioned Lines of Credit worth more than USD1 billion to Ethiopia for sectors such as rural electrification, sugar industry and railways.
- Out of the three Sugar Factory projects being undertaken through LoC funding of USD 640 million, Finchaa Sugar Factory has already been completed and handed over to the Ethiopian side. The other two are Wonji Shoa and Tendaho Phase-I.
