New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- The Indian prime minister called for a strategic relationship with Ethiopia Wednesday during his first visit to the country, one of Africa's most populous.

"The Global South is writing its own destiny, and India and Ethiopia share a vision for it," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told parliamentarians during a special address.

"Our vision is of a world where the Global South rises not against anyone, but for everyone; a world where development is fair, where technology is accessible, and where sovereignty is respected," he added.

The leaders signed a number of memorandums of understanding and promised to cooperate on the training of United Nations peacekeepers, education, and the establishment of a data center at Eth...