New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding meetings with the top leadership, addressing parliament members besides engaging in interactions with the business communities and Indian diaspora during this three nation visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman, next week.
PM Modi will embark on a bilateral visit to Jordan from December 15-16 at the invitation of King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi will hold talks with the Jordan King, interact with Indian diaspora and address a business event in Amman.
“This will be Prime Minister’s first full-fledged bilateral visit to Jordan which is coinciding with the 75th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Jordan. Some of you may recall earlier Prime Minister Shri Modi had transited through Jordan in February 2018 while on his way to the state of Palestine. Even though it was a transit visit, exceptional courtesies were accorded to him by His Majesty, the King making it more than just a transit visit. This, the current full bilateral visit is taking place after an interval of 37 years,” MEA’s Secretary (South), Neena Malhotra told reporters on Friday during a special press briefing on PM Modi’s three-nation visit.
The senior diplomat noted that India and Jordan share warm and friendly relations marked by mutual trust and goodwill and the relationship spans across sectors including political, economic, defence and strong people-to-people ties. She stated that the bilateral relations are marked by strong understanding at the leadership level.
“Since the last visit of His Majesty in 2018, both the leaders have met four times with the latest being on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy in June 2024. The leaders are in touch with each other telephonically as well and both the leaders also spoke recently in April 2025 after the ghastly Pahalgam terror attacks during which His Majesty condemned the terror attacks and said that terrorism should be rejected in all its forms and manifestations.”
Jordan has backed India’s fight against terrorism and both countries have cooperated in counter-terrorism efforts, including by India’s participation in the initiatives such as the Aqaba process. India and Jordan also share strong economic ties, with India being the third largest trading partner of Jordan and the bilateral trade between the two countries is valued at 2.8 billion dollars. Jordan is also a leading supplier of fertilizers for India, particularly phosphates and potash. There’s also a joint venture named Jordan India Fertilizer Company JIFCO with an investment of 860 million dollars between IFCO of India and Jordan Phosphates Mines Company JPMC of Jordan.
Jordan also has an Indian diaspora of more than 17,500 people, who work in various sectors such as textiles, construction, manufacturing and others.
Prime Minister Modi and the Jordan King are expected to address an India-Jordan business event which will be attended by leading businessmen from the both sides. Prime Minister will also interact with the vibrant Indian community in Jordan and visit the historic city of Petra, a city which shares ancient trade linkages with India, along with the Crown Prince.
PM Modi will then begin a State Visit to Ethiopia where he will hold talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed, address a parliament session, interact with Indian community and have some other engagements.
The MEA Secretary stated that India and Ethiopia share a long history of partnership in sectors like education, skilling and capacity building. She noted that India has been offering scholarship and training opportunities to Ethiopian students and professionals through ITEC and ICCR scholarships. ITEC also continues to be vital platform for skill upgradation and re-skilling for human resource development in Ethiopia.
This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country since 2011.
“Ethiopia is an important and trusted partner in the Global South and the African context. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has been a prominent participant and key speaker during the past editions of the Voice of Global South. The current visit reflects India’s commitment towards deepening South-South cooperation and strengthening of partnership with Africa. The visit will also help consolidate cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas, including economy, trade, culture, and people-to-people contacts. On the economic front, discussions are expected to focus on diversifying trade, enhancing connectivity, and identifying new opportunities for investment in infrastructure, IT, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing,” the MEA Secretary detailed.
India remains committed to working with Ethiopia to build a stable, secure, and inclusive global order and in advancing Africa’s priorities in line with Agenda 2063 and common global objectives.
PM Modi’s third and final stop during the three-nation tour would be Oman where he would hold talks with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik.
Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV and OIA), highlighted that this will be PM Modi’s second visit to Oman after his last visit in February 2018. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq State visited India in December 2023.
Elaborating on PM Modi’s engagements in Oman, he said, “The Honourable Prime Minister will hold comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of the bilateral relations with His Majesty the Sultan of Oman and also exchange perspectives on regional and international issues of mutual interest. He is expected to address business leaders from both the countries at a business forum and also address the Indian community in Oman.”
The MEA Secretary noted that India shares a special partnership with Oman built on centuries-old contacts and underpinned by trade linkages and people-to-people ties. The ties between India and Oman have evolved into a strategic partnership characterized by robust cooperation in diverse areas. .
–IANS
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