India and Ethiopia Hold Second Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting in Addis Ababa

India and Ethiopia held their second Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Addis Ababa, agreeing to expand military training exchanges, joint ventures in defence production, delegation visits, and peacekeeping cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by senior officials from both nations and forms part of a formal MoU framework established between the two countries. The bilateral relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Ethiopia in December 2025.

Representatives from India and Ethiopia convened their second Joint Defence Cooperation session in Addis Ababa on Monday, covering topics that included armed forces training, joint exercises, healthcare collaboration, peacekeeping operations, and the defence sector. According to a Defence Ministry statement, representatives from both sides reached an understanding at the talks to broaden and deepen military cooperation through personnel exchanges between training institutions, joint venture opportunities in defence manufacturing, reciprocal delegation visits, and knowledge-sharing engagements. The session was jointly presided over by Sanjay Kumar, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, alongside Major General Teshome Gemechu, who heads Defence Foreign Relations and Military Cooperation for Ethiopia. Personnel from the Defence Department and Air Headquarters made up the delegation sent from India. Devesh Uttam, serving as India's Ambassador to Ethiopia, was present at the gathering. The exchange advanced bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries and underscored their shared commitment to ongoing collaboration. The release noted that this arrangement also forms part of the formal bilateral framework established when the Defence Ministers of India and Ethiopia signed a Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding in February of the previous year. The inaugural India-Ethiopia Joint Defence Cooperation meeting took place in New Delhi in October of the previous year, with officials noting that bilateral defence ties between the two nations date back to 1958. The ministry noted that India's Prime Minister travelled to Ethiopia in December 2025, at which point the two nations formally elevated their ties to the level of a Strategic Partnership. During the 18th BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali to explore avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors. The two leaders used the talks to assess developments across several areas, including trade and economic ties, defence and security arrangements, and capacity-building initiatives. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global matters of shared concern, pledging to strengthen their partnership within multilateral bodies.

India and Ethiopia Hold Second Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting in Addis Ababa

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India and Ethiopia Hold Second Joint Defence Cooperation Meeting in Addis Ababa

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