Addis Ababa, Dec. 16 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that the warmth and affection shown by the Ethiopian leadership and people facilitated the visit, enabling it to proceed quickly and circumvent the lengthy routine diplomatic procedures.

This comes after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali invited PM Modi to visit Ethiopia during their meeting at the G20 Summit in South Africa the previous month.

"How could I refuse this affectionate invitation from my friend, my brother? Therefore, as soon as I got the first opportunity, I decided to come to Ethiopia. Friends, if this visit had followed normal diplomatic procedures, it would probably have taken a long time. But it is this love and affection of yours that bro...