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COVER STORY DECEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 4

MODI’S DIPLOMACY

THREE STOPS,

ONE STRATEGY

In a world unsettled by wars, protectionism and fractured supply chains,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman underline India’s bid to
expand trade, culture and strategic influence across West Asia and Africa.

OUR BUREAU abstract: memoranda of understand-
ing were signed in renewable energy,
Amman / Addis Ababa / Muscat
water resources, digital transforma-
s global diplomacy grows more tion and cultural exchange, while both
fragmented and uncertain, sides committed to strengthening cus-
APrime Minister Narendra toms cooperation and digital gover-
Modi’s three-nation tour of Jordan, nance frameworks.
Ethiopia and Oman offers a clear Culture was woven seamlessly
snapshot of how India is recalibrating into the diplomacy. The twinning of
its external engagement. The journey Petra with the Ellora Caves signaled
was not about crisis management or how heritage diplomacy is becoming
alliance politics alone; it was a care- a tool of soft power for India, rein-
fully sequenced exercise in economic forcing people-to-people links along-
diplomacy, cultural outreach and stra- side commercial ties. Modi’s visit
tegic positioning across regions that to the Jordan Museum with Crown
sit at the crossroads of Asia, Africa Prince Al Hussein—who personally
and Europe. drove the Prime Minister to the ven-
Taken together, the three stops ue—was a carefully calibrated gesture
illustrate India’s effort to build diver- that blended symbolism with warmth,
sified partnerships beyond traditional reinforcing India’s image as a civiliza-
power centres, even as global trade tional partner rather than a transac-
faces headwinds, conflicts disrupt tional actor.
energy routes and protectionist barri- Ethiopia: Africa, South–South
ers rise in major markets. In Jordan, Cooperation and Strategic
Ethiopia and Oman, Modi sought to Depth
stitch together history, diaspora con-
nections and future-oriented trade rom West Asia, Modi moved to
frameworks into a coherent diplomat- Africa, making his maiden vis-
ic narrative. Fit to Ethiopia—a country that
Jordan: Trade, Technology and Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with Oman’s highest honor, ‘Order of Oman’ by occupies a unique place in India’s
Civilizational Links Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik, in Muscat on Thursday. (@MEAIndia X/ANI Photo) diplomatic imagination. Addis Aba-
ba is not only Ethiopia’s capital but
odi’s visit to Jordan came as also the headquarters of the African
the two countries marked this figure represents only a fraction ities, was repeatedly highlighted as a Union, giving the visit continental sig-
M75 years of diplomatic re- of the potential. gateway for Indian companies to ac- nificance.
lations, lending symbolic depth to The emphasis in Amman was on cess markets across the Middle East, Here, the focus was on elevating
talks that were otherwise sharply fo- diversification—moving beyond tra- Africa and Europe. an already substantive relationship.
cused on economic expansion and ditional goods into digital public in- At the India–Jordan Business Fo- India and Ethiopia upgraded their
technological cooperation. Jordan frastructure, renewable energy, water rum, King Abdullah II’s remarks un- ties to a Strategic Partnership, reflect-
has emerged as India’s third-largest management, pharmaceuticals and derscored how New Delhi’s economic ing growing economic stakes. Indian
trading partner in the region, with bi- logistics. Jordan’s strategic location, scale and Amman’s geography could companies have invested over USD 5
lateral trade touching USD 2.3 billion coupled with its free trade agree- combine to create a new economic billion in Ethiopia, making India one
in 2024. Yet both sides were clear that ments and advanced logistics capabil- corridor. The conversation was not Continued on next page... >>

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