Pranab to visit Ethiopia; Three agreements to be signed

New Delhi, June 28: India and Ethiopia, the second largest country by population in Africa, will set up a Joint Ministerial Commission under an agreement to be signed during the visit of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Ethiopia from July 3-6.

Among the other agreements that would be signed are a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) and a Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations.

During the visit that would strengthen and diversify bilateral relations, Mr Mukherjee would hold talks with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and call on the President, the Prime Minister and other senior ministers. As a special gesture, he would address the Foreign Affairs Committee of Ethiopian Parliament.

The EAM would inaugurate the pilot projects of the tele-education and tele-medicine components of the Pan-African e-network project, foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters today.

Ethiopia is home to the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

The Minister would hold discussions with Prof Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairperson of the AU Commission, and address the African Permanent Representatives to the AU.

At Addis Ababa, he would hold a conference of Indian Heads of Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

UNI