Will also be India’s ambassador to the African Union
Anil Kumar Rai is currently serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. According to the MEA, he “has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.” Anil Kumar Rai is anticipated to commence his assignment soon.
India’s relations with Ethiopia have been traditionally close and friendly. Successive Ethiopian governments have been appreciative of the fact that India has always stood in favour of Ethiopia’s interests. Ethiopia too has been consistent in their support for India in the international fora on various issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ethiopian PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on August 24, 2023. The leaders agreed to deepen relations and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in areas like parliamentary contacts, development partnership & capacity building, trade & investment, defence, ICT, agriculture, skilling of youth and people to people linkages.
Notably, Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, serves as the headquarters of the African Union. Ethiopia is a major country in Africa and Anil Kumar Rai will also look after issues related to African Union and will represent India in the meetings of the Union as per requirement as India’s Ambassador. Historical linkages between India and Ethiopia go back about 2,000 years of recorded history. Presently, the Indian Diaspora in Ethiopia is estimated to be about 5000. There are a number of Indian companies in this country. There are also several Ethiopian companies who engage Indian workers.
