Kovind arrives in Ethiopia on African trip

Kovind, who arrived here from Djibouti, was received at the Addis Ababa airport by his Ethiopian counterpart Mulatu Teshome.

Kovind's visit is the first by an Indian president to Ethiopia in 45 years after President VV Giri's trip in 1972.

The two nations are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations during the visit.

India's bilateral trade with Ethiopia in 2016 was nearly USD 1 billion. It is among the top three foreign investors in Ethiopia with an approved investment of USD 4 billion.

The president will address the India-Ethiopia Business Dialogue, and along with Teshome, he will also inaugurate the Indian Technology and Innovation Exposition which is being organised here by FICCI from October 5-7.

Kovind will also interact with members of the Indian community here.

India is among the top trade, investment and development partners of Ethiopia. As per the World Economic Forum, Ethiopia has been the leader in economic growth in East Africa and is projected to become the fastest growing economy in the world in 2017 recording a growth of 8.3 per cent.

The bilateral partnership between India and Ethiopia which is based on civilisational ties and cultural bonds now covers all areas of mutual and contemporary relevance.

Ethiopia continues to be the largest recipient of India's concessional Lines of Credit for Africa.