Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament on Wednesday. PM Modi has addressed 18 parliaments across the world so far.
Prime Minister Modi called Ethiopia the “land of lions” and said he felt at home in the country, drawing a parallel with his home state of Gujarat, which is also home to lions.
“It is a great privilege for me to stand before you today. I feel honored to be here in the temple of democracy, at the heart of a nation with ancient wisdom and modern aspirations,” he said.
The Prime Minister said he carried the greetings of 1.4 billion Indians and expressed his deep respect for the Ethiopian parliament, people and democratic journey.
“In this great building the will of the people becomes the will of the state. When the wheel of the state moves in harmony with the wheel of the people, the wheel of progress moves forward with hope and purpose,” he said.
PM Modi also thanked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for conferring the Grand Honor Nishan of Ethiopia, the country’s highest civilian award.
“I accept this honor with folded hands and humility on behalf of the people of India,” he said.
“World’s Oldest Civilization”
The prime minister described Ethiopia as one of the oldest civilizations in the world and said history lives on in its mountains, valleys and in the hearts of its people. He also highlighted the cultural connection, noting that both India’s national song, Vande Mataram, and Ethiopia’s national anthem refer to the country as “mother”.
“We too are an ancient civilization marching confidently into the future, guided by the call of ‘Sabka saath, Sabka vikas, Sabka prayas’. Our emotions towards our motherland also reflect our common perspective. The Indian song Vande Mataram and the Ethiopian national anthem both refer to the earth as a mother. They say they inspire us to be proud of our mother and proud of our mother PM.
The speech came a day after PM Modi held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali during which India and Ethiopia upgraded their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. Discussions focused on cooperation in food and health security, capacity building, digital public infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, medical tourism, energy and critical minerals.
When the wheel of the state moves in harmony with the wheel of the people, the wheel of progress moves forward with hope and purpose.
At a banquet held in his honor on Tuesday, Ethiopian singers performed Vande Mataram, a moment Prime Minister Modi described as deeply moving, especially as India commemorates 150 years of the national song.
