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 fourday threenation visitEthiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali drove Modi to the airport and personally bid farewell to him as he departed for OmanIn 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 tiesDuring Modis maiden visit to East African nation the two countries elevated their historical ties to the level of Strategic PartnershipHe also held wideranging talks with Abiy following which the two leaders witnessed the exchange of various MoUs in various fieldsThe 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 EthiopiaThe 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 healthcareModi also addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian parliament during which he hailed the two countries as natural partners in regional peace security and connectivityThis was the 18th parliament in the world that Prime Minister Modi has addressedDelighted to have interacted with Ministers and MPs of Ethiopia after my address to the Ethiopian Parliament he said in a post on XThe prime minister was conferred Ethiopias highest award The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia He is the first global head of state to receive this awardHe also planted a sapling at the Ethiopian House of Peoples Representatives as part of Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative and Ethiopias Green Legacy initiative Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an X postTwo nations two traditions one shared promise to honour our Mother Earth and build a greener future he saidModi 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 peoplecentric developmentModi 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 relationshipThe 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 2023Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora in OmanIt will be his second visit to OmanThis 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 statementThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever