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COVER STORY DECEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 5

of the largest investors and a major
job creator in the country. These in-
vestments span agriculture, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and
education.
Modi’s address to a joint session
of the Ethiopian Parliament—met
with a prolonged standing ovation—
was deliberately framed around his-
tory, culture and shared development
journeys. By invoking ancient trade
links and the role of Indian soldiers
in Ethiopia’s liberation during World
War II, Modi anchored contemporary
cooperation in a long civilizational
arc.
Trade and development, how-
ever, remained central. The two
leaders discussed expanding cooper-
ation in digital public infrastructure,
healthcare, education and capacity
building. India’s experience with pop- Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, hosts a state banquet for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Addis International Convention
ulation-scale digital platforms was Centre, in Addis Ababa on Wednesday. (@PMEthiopia X/ANI Photo)
positioned as a model for service de-
livery and governance, aligning with
Ethiopia’s development priorities. This matters in the current global that predates modern diplomacy. A Broader Diplomatic Pattern
The cultural dimension was context. With rising tariffs and trade The cultural narrative was rein-
equally prominent. Ethiopian lead- barriers in some traditional markets, forced through references to historic iewed together, the three-coun-
try tour reflects a deliberate
ers and ministers spoke openly about India is actively seeking alternative seafaring links between Mandvi and Vstrategy. India is not merely
the role Indian teachers, doctors and trade corridors. Oman, positioned as Muscat, and initiatives on maritime reacting to global uncertainty; it is
institutions have played over de- a logistics and energy hub under its heritage, museums and academic ex- using it as an opportunity to repo-
cades. Education scholarships, peo- Vision 2040 strategy, fits neatly into changes. The adoption of a Joint Vi- sition itself as a stable, growth-ori-
ple-to-people ties and diaspora links India’s push to secure resilient supply sion Document on Maritime Cooper- ented partner across regions that
emerged as enduring pillars of the re- chains and diversified export destina- ation added a strategic layer, linking are themselves navigating flux.
lationship, reinforcing India’s broader tions. economic activity with maritime secu- Trade was the unifying thread—
South–South cooperation narrative. Modi’s engagement in Muscat rity and the blue economy. whether through CEPA with Oman,
Modi was also conferred Ethio- went beyond trade texts. He ad- Modi was conferred the Order of
pia’s highest civilian honor, the Great dressed the India–Oman Business Oman, the Sultanate’s highest civilian investment-led partnerships with Ethi-
opia or diversified economic cooper-
Honor Nishan of Ethiopia, becoming Forum, highlighted India’s economic honor, marking the 29th such inter- ation with Jordan. Culture and heri-
the first global leader to receive it. reforms and growth trajectory, and national recognition he has received. tage served as diplomatic multipliers,
The recognition carried diplomat- underscored the role of the Indian The honor, coinciding with 70 years deepening trust and reinforcing India’s
ic weight, signaling Ethiopia’s trust diaspora—nearly 675,000 strong—in of India–Oman diplomatic relations, image as a civilizational state with en-
in India as a long-term partner at a sustaining bilateral ties. His remarks underscored how personal diplomacy during connections.
time when African nations are recal- framed the diaspora as custodians of has become a defining feature of In- Equally important was the recep-
ibrating their global alignments amid a centuries-old maritime relationship dia’s external engagement. tion Modi received. From royal ges-
intensifying geopolitical competition. tures in Jordan to parliamentary ap-
Oman: Trade Architecture and plause in Ethiopia and national honors
Maritime Heritage in Oman, the optics reinforced India’s
rising diplomatic stature. The enthu-
he final leg of the tour, Oman, siastic response from Indian diaspora
brought the economic logic of
Tthe journey into sharp focus. communities across all three countries
further amplified this message, pro-
India and Oman signed a landmark jecting India’s soft power alongside its
Comprehensive Economic Partner- economic ambitions.
ship Agreement (CEPA), one of In- In an era where alliances are
dia’s most significant trade deals in strained and multilateralism is under
West Asia in recent years. pressure, Modi’s three-nation visit
The agreement promises du- demonstrated how India is building
ty-free access for 98 per cent of India’s parallel pathways—through trade
exports to Oman, spanning textiles, agreements, cultural diplomacy and
agriculture, leather goods and manu- people-to-people ties—to expand its
factured products. For Oman, India’s global footprint. The journey may have
tariff reductions on petrochemicals, covered just three countries, but its
dates and marble offer new market implications stretch across West Asia,
opportunities. More broadly, the Africa and beyond, signaling India’s
CEPA is designed to strengthen sup- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being felicitated during his visit to the Jordan Museum, in intent to shape the emerging econom-
ply chains, boost investment flows and Amman on Tuesday. Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II is also present. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo) ic and diplomatic order rather than
generate employment on both sides. merely adapt to it.

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