Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SCP) MP Supriya Sule, who is leading the all-party Indian delegation visiting Ethiopia, met with former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Saturday and discussed bilateral cooperation, regional development, and the global fight against terrorism.
Speaking after the meeting, Sule called the interaction "excellent," lauding Desalegn's five-decade-long engagement with Ethiopia's political and economic landscape.
"They have seen a lot of conflict here. They have seen ups and downs in their economy and growth. But under his leadership, they had double-digit growth and many infrastructure projects--be it beautiful dams, railways, industrial parks," Sule noted, drawing parallels between India and Ethiopia's shared developmental aspirations.
"We had a detailed discussion and told him what happened in Pahalgam. The attack on India's soul is just not accepted. And we all must commit ourselves to zero tolerance against any terrorism anywhere in the world. India will not accept any terrorist attacks anymore," Sule stressed, underlining the main theme of the delegation's engagements across the region.
Sule also welcomed Ethiopia's inclusion in the G20 during India's presidency last year, calling it a significant milestone in India-Ethiopia ties. "It's very important for us to come here today to talk to them. We were very warmly received and reassured that in this journey of eradication of terrorism, Ethiopia still stands together solidly with India," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Sule also welcomed Ethiopia's inclusion in the G20 during India's presidency last year, calling it a significant milestone in India-Ethiopia ties. "It's very important for us to come here today to talk to them. We were very warmly received and reassured that in this journey of eradication of terrorism, Ethiopia still stands together solidly with India," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Commenting on Ethiopia's bilateral relations with Pakistan, Sule said that terrorism must be opposed globally, regardless of geopolitical alignments.
"I think globally, everybody agrees that there has to be zero tolerance against terrorism. So I think we are very hopeful that when it comes to terrorism, we all stand united, whoever the other country may be, but we will not accept any terrorism anywhere in the world anymore."
Meanwhile, echoing similar views, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, a member of the delegation, highlighted the need for decisive action against terror-sponsoring states.
"We don't find the difference between terrorist organisations and the states sponsoring terrorism, we see the similarities in them. We will not be restraining ourselves, but for the security of the country, for the safety of the country, we will try to eliminate the threat of this terrorism wherever it is in whichever country that is sponsoring it," he said.
The all-party delegation led by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, arrived at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia on Friday, where they were received and welcomed by the Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai.
The delegation concluded its diplomatic visit to South Africa with a series of meetings involving political leaders, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora at India House in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa.
The delegation includes NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP), Vikramjit Singh Sahney (AAP), Manish Tewari (Congress), Anurag Singh Thakur (BJP), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), Anand Sharma (Congress), V Muraleedharan (BJP), and former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin.
The visit, part of India's broader diplomatic outreach following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, aimed to deepen bilateral ties and convey India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism.