Addis Ababa [Ethiopia], May 31 : Congress MP Manish Tewari, member of the Group 7 all-party delegation led by NCP-SCP Supriya Sule apart of Modi government's big diplomatic outreach, said on Saturday that Ethiopia supported the Indian position and actions taken in self-defence after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "Ethiopia has appreciated the Indian position as well as the actions that we have taken in our self-defence. We have had a civilizational relationship with Ethiopia."
"The relationship is symbiotic, people-to-people, got-to-got, and there has been an absolutely seamless, friendly interaction between the people of India and Ethiopia," he added.
Highlighting the series of productive meetings in Ethiopia, Tewari, stated, "Since yesterday, we have had a series of very productive meetings in Addis Ababa. We met the former PM of Ethiopia. Today, in the morning, we called on the Deputy Chairperson of their ruling party. We had a very productive meeting in the African Union. Now, we have just finished our meeting with the Speaker in their Parliament."
"Ethiopia has reaffirmed its support against all forms of terrorism. They have conveyed their deepest condolences for the dastardly attack which led to the death of 26 innocent people in Pahalgam. The African Union is the first continental grouping which has put a definition on terrorism and terrorist act," he added.
On Saturday, the delegation had several meetings, including one with Adem Farah, Vice President of the Prosperity Party, Ethiopia's ruling party; a meeting with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union at its Headquarters; and a meeting with former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
The delegation had 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 also includes 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.
Recently, the delegation concluded its diplomatic visit to South Africa with a series of meetings at India House in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, involving political leaders, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora.
In a diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor, the Modi government has formed seven multi-party delegations to inform nations about Pakistan's links to terrorism and India's strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Seven all-party delegations are taking part in various outreach programmes in the countries they are assigned to.
The delegations aim to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in France, the UK, Germany, the EU, Italy, and Denmark.
The seven delegations are visiting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria, the UK, France, Germany, the EU, Italy, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone, the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia, Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pak-sponsored terrorists in which 26 people were killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
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