News in Brief

Justice Minister Gideon Timotheos, pays a working visit to Brussels, Belgium

PM Security Advisor, Ambassador Redwan Hussein pays a visit to Italy

Ethio-Italy Business forum successfully held in Rome

French investments in Ethiopia are welcome with open arms 

Africa and the African Union

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said he is “following with deep concern the escalating military tension” between Ethiopia and Sudan and “deeply regrets the loss of life at their common border.” Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, issued a statement expressing “deep concern” on the recent military escalation between Ethiopia and Sudan borders calling on the two “sisterly countries to exercise utmost restraint and avoid actions that can further heighten tensions and to actively seek diplomatic means to find a lasting and sustainable solution on the matter”.

Ethiopia

President Sahle- Work Zewde, Chair of the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education spoke at the opening session of the Transforming Education Summit (TES) pre-summit at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Thursday (June 29). It was attended by more than 140 ministers and Vice-Ministers of Education. The Pre-summit offered an opportunity for the President and the 17 commission members to make contributions to the September 19 summit convened by the UN Secretary-General. She emphasized that “today more than ever, education must help transform the world and, to build a new social contract for education, we need to challenge ourselves to think and do differently”. She recommended five directions of change for transforming education.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on the Sudanese people on Wednesday (June 29) to avoid enmity with Ethiopia and pursue a peaceful mechanism to address the situation between the two countries. “The two peoples of Sudan and Ethiopia are brothers. Undoubtedly, there are many problems between Sudan and Ethiopia. We must intensify and cooperate in confronting and solving these dilemmas. There are many who want us to slip into each other’s fight. But these parties – whether they are governments or others – will not reap any benefit from fuelling strife between our two peoples,” the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday (June 24) expressed his delight to attend the BRICS- Plus High-Level Dialogue on Global Development, hosted by President Xi Jinping of China. “Such platforms followed by collective actions contribute greatly to addressing the multifaceted challenges we are faced with as a global community,” he said. The Leaders of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa held the 14^th  BRICS Summit under the theme “Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development” on 23-24 June 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen met on Thursday (June 30) with Addis Ababa-based African Ambassadors and Diplomats on the current situation in Ethiopia. The briefing, in particular, focused on the recent incident on the Ethiopia-Sudan common border, the ongoing peace-building initiatives, the National Dialogue, and negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Foreign Minister of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, said that Cuba is committed to deepening its traditional and strong ties with Ethiopia. The Foreign Minister of Cuba, who paid a courtesy call to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen on Tuesday (June 28), said Cuba attaches a special place to Ethiopia. The level of bilateral ties is exemplary, he said, further stressing the need to strengthen cooperation in multilateral forums. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, on his part, commended Cuba for its contributions to strengthening its ties with Ethiopia on bilateral and multilateral forums.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia said on Monday (June 27) that the Ethiopian Government “regrets the loss of life as a result of a skirmish between the Sudanese army and a local militia of which an investigation would be carried out soon.” The statement from the Ministry came after Sudan accused Ethiopia’s army of capturing and executing seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian. But Ethiopia said, “the incident took place within Ethiopian territory after incursions by a Sudanese regular army unit supported by elements of the terrorist TPLF.”

Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Justice of Ethiopia and Central Committee member of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), said that the Central Committee and the Executive Committee members of the party have “put a direction” outlining the “peace alternatives” to solve “the problem in the northern part of our country.” Dr. Gedion said the direction the party will pursue will be “in a manner that respects the constitution and national interest” of the country and “facilitated by the African Union.”

A high-level delegation led by Dr. Gideon Timotheos (Ph.D.), Minister of Justice of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia paid a working visit to Brussels, Belgium from 15 to 18 June 2022 and consulted with officials of the European Union Commission and the European Parliament. (See Article)

Press Secretary of the Prime Minister Office, Billene Seyoum said Peace and Security continues to be a primary priority of the Government while destabilizing Ethiopia continues to be a primary priority of enemy forces working in an orchestrated and coordinated manner. In delivering a press briefing on Thursday (June 30), she said the ambition and intention of Ethiopia’s enemies is that Ethiopians are always in constant animosity towards each other and therefore will let development efforts slip away. “But for Ethiopians, this is not an option. With a growing population, the Government is also quite fixed and focused on ensuring development endeavors progress unhindered.”

In a press briefing on Thursday (June 30), Minister of Government Communications, Legesse Tulu (Ph.D.) stated that historical enemies of Ethiopia have continued their anti-peace activities to destabilize Ethiopia. The Minister cited the recent horrendous massacre of innocent people in Wollega, Oromia as part of the atrocities being carried out by terrorist groups who are being sponsored by historical enemies of the country. Legesse indicated that joint forces of the National Defence Force, Federal Police, and Oromia Special Force have taken military measures on members of the Shene terrorist group who committed the heinous crimes in Gimbi areas of Wollega.

The Ethio – Italy Business Forum was held in Rome from 23- 24 June. In his keynote address, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said, the two countries have a historical, diplomatic, cultural, and people-to-people base that offers us a unique opportunity to help deepen and strengthen our business relations. (See Article)

In related news, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, National Security advisor to the prime minister, held bilateral discussions with Luigi Di Maio, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation of the Republic of Italy, David Beasley, the World Food Program (WFP) Executive director in Rome and QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 23-24 June 2022 in Rome. (See Article)

The Ethiopia-France Trade and Investment Forum that brought nearly 60 Ethiopian and French companies and Government Institutions together was held in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and France. (See Article)

The national committee composed of 16 government offices and partner institutions to repatriate Ethiopian citizens discussed the progress achieved thus far on Thursday (June 23).  The meeting noted that up to June 22, 40% of the plan of repatriating 102,000 citizens from Saudi Arabia was achieved. Accordingly, in 111 flights from March 30-June 22, more than 40,794 citizens were repatriated to their home country.

The World Bank has approved the second phase of the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project in the Horn of Africa (DRDIP II) for $180 million in International Development Association (IDA) financing to help Ethiopia improve access to basic social and economic services, expand livelihood opportunities, and enhance environmental management for refugees and their host communities. The fund, it said in a statement on Thursday (June 30), will benefit approximately 2.5 million people in Ethiopia, of whom one-third are refugees and at least 50% are women.

With the increasing risk of famine in the Horn of Africa due to severe and prolonged drought conditions, urgent life-saving and livelihood assistance is needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Monday (June 27). As the peak of the crisis fast approaches, FAO launched a revised Rapid Response and Mitigation Plan, which exclusively focuses on four drought epicentres across the region: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Djibouti

The President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde attended the 45^th anniversary of Djibouti’s Independence Day in Paris that was organized by the Republic of Djibouti, Honoring the long-standing relations between the two countries. In related news, the Day was celebrated in Ethiopia’s city, Dire Dawa, exemplifying the fraternity and people-to-people ties between Djibouti and Ethiopia.

The 13th Horn of Africa initiative Ministerial meeting was held in Djibouti on Thursday (June 30). It was organised and chaired by Ambassador Ukur Yatani, Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, and current Chairman of the initiative. The meeting gathered Ministers of Finances of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia and, for the first time, South Sudan. The African Development Bank Vice-President and a representative of the World Bank also took part. Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, who participated in the meeting, announced that the EU will step up its contribution to the Horn of Africa Initiative from €162 million euros to €430 million in 2022, in particular on resilience and food security.

Ethiopia’s taxi-hailing and Booking Service provider, RIDE, is set to enter Djibouti after its parent company, Hybrid Designs Plc, finalized preparation to launch the service in the neighboring nation. Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, on his social media pages congratulated the company and said, “the growth and expansion of homegrown enterprises are a source of national pride and assets.”

Following a scoping mission by regional experts, the Republic of Djibouti is set to become the fourth country to join a network, supported by TRAFFIC, called the Eastern-Africa TWIX (Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange) to share crucial information about wildlife crime within and passing through its borders. The scoping mission, engaged with senior government officials, including representatives from customs, CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Management Authority, the Ministry of Environment, National Police, Gendarmerie, Public Prosecutors, and Coast Guards, identified the significant potential to intercept wildlife crime before it reaches consumer markets in other areas of the world.

Kenya

The African Union Commission is deploying an international election expert mission to Kenya comprising eight core teams of experts. The union deployed the mission following an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Kenya to the African Union to observe the forthcoming General Elections scheduled for 9 August 2022. The deployment of an election expert mission is part of the African Union’s comprehensive and long-term engagement in the 2022 general elections in Kenya said the AU in a press statement.

Presidential candidate, Raila Odinga said on Saturday (June 25) that the border will be opened to enable business flow between Kenya and Somalia. “We shall put in place all that is required to ensure operations at this border so that we can freely interact with our Somalia brothers,” he said. The Azimio presidential candidate who was accompanied by his running mate Martha Karua and among other leaders promised to ensure security improves in Mandera and the larger North Eastern Region. The region has continued to suffer attacks from Somalia-based al Shabaab militants.

Somalia

Hamza Abdi Barre became Somalia’s 21st prime minister on Saturday (June 25) after receiving unanimous approval from Lower House MPs. Parliamentarians unanimously gave a vote of confidence to Hamze Abdi Barre to form the country’s new government. Lawmaker Barre was appointed by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the country’s prime minister on June 15.

Somalia celebrates the 62nd anniversary of Independence Day on Friday (July 01). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia stated, “We celebrate with our people on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Somalia’s independence day, July 1, to strengthen our unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity to achieve the vision of Somalia at peace with itself and the world.”

South Sudan

Energy Capital & Power (ECP) announced that this year, the South Sudan Oil and Power (SSOP) conference will take place from September 13-14, 2022, in Juba. Ambassadors from China, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, Somalia and India have been confirmed and delegations from each respective country are expected to attend the high-level event.

Sudan

The head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Gen, Abdul-Fattah Al-Burhan on Tuesday (June 28) met the European Union (EU) envoy for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber in the capital, Khartoum. The meeting tackled the current conflict between Sudan and Ethiopia; days after Khartoum accused Ethiopia of killing seven soldiers and a civilian. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Defense Ministry reject accusations by Sudanese army as ‘baseless’.

Nine Sudanese lost their lives on Thursday (June 30) during the anti-coup protests in Khartoum state where the security services used their rifles to disperse protesters. The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) issued several statements to update the situation on the ground. Hundreds of thousands of protesters went out across the country to demonstrate against the military coup of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and show their support for civilian rule.

Sudanese foreign ministry summoned the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) head to protest his statements about the need to avoid using violence to disperse the anti-coup protests of June 30. On Wednesday (June 28), Volker Perthes called on the Sudanese authorities to ensure their commitment to protecting the right of peaceful assembly and protest before stressing that “Violence would not be tolerated”.

South Sudan is encouraging regional support to help end the stalemate in Sudan’s peace process, a presidential advisor Tutkew Gatluak Manime said on Thursday (June 30). South Sudan is one of the countries in the region which has been playing a role to ensure peace and stability returns to Sudan so that the two countries embark on a shared vision that advocates cooperation for the viability of the two states.

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Justice Minister Gideon Timotheos, pays a working visit to Brussels, Belgium 

A high-level delegation led by Dr. Gideon Timotheos (Ph.D.), Minister of Justice of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia paid a working visit to Brussels, Belgium from 15 to 18 June 2022 and consulted with officials of the European Union Commission and the European Parliament.

The delegation met with Eamon Gilmore, European Union (EU) Special Representative for Human Rights, Janez Lenarčič, EU commissioner for Crisis Management and European Emergency Response Coordinator, Ferran Myriam, European Union development cooperation official of International Partnership (INTPA), Carlos Zorrinho, ACP-EU Co-President and Member of European Parliament, and other EU parliamentarians, including Honorable Maria Arena, Chair of the Sub-Committee for Human rights, Honorable Urmas Paet, Vice-Chair for the Foreign Affairs Committee and Javier Nart, member of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee.

Discussions were mainly focused on issues related to the current political and security situation in Ethiopia, particularly, focusing on humanitarian access, efforts being made to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice as well as on Ethiopian Government’s peace initiatives, including progress on the African Union (AU) led peace process to bring an end to the conflict. 

EU officials appreciated the overall progress made in improving humanitarian situations in the Northern part of Ethiopia and stressed the need to build upon the existing momentum and work towards achieving sustained peace in the country. They expressed appreciation for the extensive briefings and stressed the need to continue exchanging updates on the current situation in Ethiopia, while also expressing interest to work closely to foster the link between Ethiopia and the EU based on mutual interests. 

EU recognized progress and they underscored the need to keep and strengthen the positive momentum. The two sides agreed to work closely to further bolster the progress that has been achieved in various facets.

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Ethio-Italy Business forum successfully held in Rome

The Ethio – Italy Business Forum was held in Rome from 23- 24 June. In his keynote address, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said, the two countries have a historical, diplomatic, cultural, and people-to-people base that offers us a unique opportunity to help deepen and strengthen our business relations. Ethiopia and the Republic of Italy have been building on their ties since they established diplomatic relations in 1889. Italy is the first country to open its mission in Ethiopia. The two sides have been closely working in both bilateral and multilateral settings and their cooperation extends to include various sectors such as peace and security, counter-terrorism, migration, climate change, and development cooperation programs. Highlighting Ethiopian business opportunities, he said, “Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing non-oil producing economies in the world and is quickly becoming a prime investment destination. Increased market liberalization and public investments in infrastructure projects, such as roads, railways, and power generation, continue to drive economic growth.”

In addition, Ambassador Redwan underscored that recent government reforms and incentives have unlocked new investment and business opportunities, with a special focus on the industrial sector, in which the role of the Italian government and companies was big. Moreover, he added that the Ethiopian Government has identified the development of labor-intensive light manufacturing and industrial parks as priorities for accelerating industrialization. Recently established state-of-the-art industrial parks provide high-quality industrial and investment infrastructure for enterprises, with additional such parks under development, he said. As a result, including Italy, many major international companies have opened factories in Ethiopia in sectors such as textiles and garments, leather and leather products, and food and beverages, a trend expected to continue. With comparative and competitive advantages, Ethiopia benefits from preferential trade agreements with key international markets, which investors can access freely. These agreements include Duty-free, quota-free access to the EU markets through everything but Arms (EBA); Duty-free, quota-free access to China, Japan, Canada, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand – covering substantially all export goods from Ethiopia; a preferential market access to India; a member of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) with preferential access to a regional market of 400 million people; and many more Fiscal and non-fiscal Investment incentives by which Italian potential companies can be benefited.

According to Ambassador Redwan, Ethiopia considers Italy as an important development partner, which is contributing to its development endeavors. The two countries have signed more than thirty agreements in various sectors; out of which, the 1997 Exchange of amendment notes to the convention to avoid double taxation on income taxes and to prevent tax evasions, and other signed agreements.

Ambassador Redwan, also added that Ethiopia is a priority country for Italy’s development cooperation. In the last 30 years, Italy has provided more than 800 million Euros to Ethiopia in the form of development finance, he said. The two countries have a framework agreement signed for the period 2017-2019 with a budget of 125 million Euros. This cooperation is going forward without hiccups, which shows the degree of good relations between the two sisterly countries and the people of Ethiopia and Italy. Within this cooperation framework, Italy is supporting Agro-industrial value chain projects in Oromia, SNNPR, Amhara, and the Tigray Regional States. Italy has also allocated 140 million Euros to Ethiopia to finance development efforts for the year 2022-2024. Discussion is underway to sign the development cooperation framework agreement shortly.

Demitu Hambisa, Ethiopian Ambassador in Italy, on her part, said Ethiopia has undergone enormous reforms in the past three years that are also important in making the country ready for business. The country turned a new page in its efforts to democratize and address long-standing Ethiopian concerns about good governance, human rights, and the development of a democratic system that works for the people, she said. “Ethiopia is determined to sustain the massive gains made in achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty and will strive to leapfrog in the areas of industrialization and transforming the foundation of the economy while continuing to support pro-poor policies and assistance given to improve the productivity of basic sectors that support a significant portion of our people. In this regard, Italy`s support to Ethiopia is significant.” She added that Ethiopia values Italy’s supports Ethiopia. 

Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, Daniel Terresa, presented the investment opportunities that Ethiopia offers to foreign and domestic investors in detail and over 100 business people took part in the forum. This was followed by a business-to-business meeting which was impressive and fruitful in its kind. An eye-opener field trip was organized and members of the delegation visited SAER, Food Processing, and Steel plants.

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PM Security Advisor, Redwan Hussein pays a visit to Italy

Ambassador Redwan Hussein, National Security advisor to the Prime Minister, held bilateral discussions with Luigi Di Maio, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation of the Republic of Italy on June 23, 2022. Ambassador Redwan explained the two countries` historical, diplomatic, cultural, and people to people relation that offers a unique opportunity to deepen and strengthen strategic relations. Ethiopia and the Republic of Italy have been building their relations since they established diplomatic relations in 1889. The two sides have been closely working in both bilateral and multilateral settings and their cooperation extends to include various sectors such as peace and security, counter-terrorism, migration, climate change, and development cooperation programs. The discussion between the two sides also covered bilateral and regional issues and areas of cooperation to further strengthen the partnership between the two countries.

Ambassador Redwan Hussein explained the current developments in Ethiopia: Ethiopia`s commitment to the AU-led efforts for peace; the government`s several confidence-building measures including, the government`s facilitation of the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Tigray region, and the ongoing all-inclusive National Dialogue. Ambassador Redwan added the efforts of the government of the Republic of Italy towards reaching the conflict-affected areas and the provisions of humanitarian assistance. The Ambassador also mentioned that instead of reciprocating these initiatives taken by the FDRE government, the TPLF is mobilizing the people of Tigray for another round of conflict and to the extent underscored the continued acts of the TPLF to interrupt the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Tigray region. He added that since June 23, 2022, the TPLF denied humanitarian aid cargo from entering Mekelle. The Minister stated that such actions show the group`s ill intentions to use the humanitarian challenges of the people for its political gain. The minister called upon the international community to condemn the acts of the terrorist group. The Minister further explained the works of the government on human rights and accountability issues.

Luigi Di Maio, on his part, appreciated the progress made by the Ethiopian government about humanitarian assistance recalling his recent visit to Ethiopia. The minister underlined the importance of Ethiopia in the peace and stability of the region and expressed the government of Italy’s support for the realization of sustainable peace and security. He also mentioned the importance of strengthening the bilateral development cooperation between the two countries. 

Ambassador Redwan Hussein also held discussions with David Beasley, the World Food Program (WFP) Executive director in Rome. He briefed the Executive Director on the current developments in Ethiopia, including the humanitarian situations. Concerning the baseless claims of fuel shortage, Ambassador Redwan highlighted the efforts of the government in collaboration with USAID to supply 2 million liters per month and during the last week alone, he said, 3 fuel tankers carrying 137913 liters arrived in the Tigray region, which is enough for the humanitarian supply operations. Ambassador Redwan stressed the continued act of the TPLF in obstructing the humanitarian supply to the people of the Tigray region, particularly, the denial of humanitarian air cargo in Mekelle airport since the 23rd of June 2022. The Executive Director, on his part, mentioned the significant improvements in humanitarian supply to the Tigray region with the support of the regional federal governments by recalling his recent visit to Ethiopia. David Beasley underscored that WFP is working diligently to boost humanitarian support to those affected by conflicts and drought.

On June 24/2022, Ambassador Redwan held discussions with QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The discussion centered on Agri-food transformation; particularly, production and productivity; Climate resilience, and maintaining sustainable developments. He briefed the Director-General about the lowland wheat irrigation projects agro-green legacy initiatives, industrial development, and the efforts of the government for the provision of climate-resilient agriculture and drought resistance seed. The Minister, appreciating the FAO`S technical expertise and financial support, asked the Director-General to increase the organization’s assistance in enhancing the efforts of the Ethiopian government to ensure food security and sustainable developments. The Director-General for FAO, Qu Dongyu, on his part, recognized the bold measures of Ethiopia in Africa, especially the green legacy initiatives which coincided with FAO green city initiatives and other efforts of the government to bring agri-food system transformation. Finally, they agreed to work together to boost productivity, building green cities, climate-resilient agriculture, and agri-food systems transformation.

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French investments in Ethiopia are welcome with open arms 

The Ethiopia-France Trade and Investment Forum that brought nearly 60 Ethiopian and French companies and Government Institutions together was held in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and France.

In his opening speech, Ambassador of Ethiopia to France, Henok Teferra Shawl said investments are welcome with open arms, incentives, access to a market of over 115 million people, and a fast-growing economy. “As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, your presence is indeed a vivid proof that the future looks bright and that in the coming years the ties of friendship will be further consolidated.”

He asserted that the two countries have a longstanding diplomatic relationship and that the support of France to Ethiopia’s effort in realizing modernization with the construction of the Ethio-Djibouti railroad at the end of the 19th century played an essential role in opening the country to investment and trade flows. “This umbilical link to the Port of Djibouti played an essential role in opening our country to investment and trade flows,” he said.

Ambassador Henok also mentioned that the friendship of the two countries was further strengthened by the support of the Free France forces in 1941 against fascist occupation where over 150 French soldiers paid the ultimate price in support of the liberation of Ethiopia. He underlined that the people-to-people ties were greatly enhanced with many official visits of the respective heads of state of the two countries and mentioned the establishment of Ethio-French Lycée Guebré Mariam and the Ethio-French Alliance which are enabling the flourishing of the cultures of the two countries. 

He also noted that the political relations between the two countries have been qualitatively and quantitatively scaled up with the coming to power of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018. In this regard, Ambassador Henok stated that the reform agenda of the Prime Minister, namely the democratization of the country and the liberalization of the economy, found a strong echo in France.

Speaking about the political situation in Ethiopia, Ambassador Henok asserted that the recent conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia was initially triggered by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that has governed the country for the last 30 years. It waged a war against Ethiopia, though its plan failed “thanks to Ethiopians who rallied to save their country and ensure the continuation of the reforms,” he said. In this regard, he mentioned that the Government has declared a unilateral ceasefire to show its commitment to peace in addition to taking the necessary actions to ensure peace in the country. 

The Ambassador noted also that even during the difficult period in 2021, Ethiopia’s economy has shown strong resilience, continued foreign direct investment, and growth of exports, attaining over 3 billion dollars for the first time.

Besides TotalEnergies, the Ambassador appreciated the inflow of FDI and opportunities for employment due to the presence of new economic actors from France, notably Canal + and the Soufflet Group. “There is, however, much more room for French investments,” he said, “in particular in priority areas such as agro-processing, manufacturing, mining, tourism, and ICT. In these areas, investments are welcome with open arms, the right incentives and more importantly access to a market of over 115 million people, overwhelmingly young and a fast-growing economy.” 

The Ambassador also appreciated France’s support of the reform agenda of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and notable cultural projects. He said, “The reform agenda of the Prime Minister, namely the democratization of the country and the liberalization of the economy, found a strong echo in France and with President Emmanuel Macron. As a reflection of this strong support, France granted Ethiopia 100 million euros to accompany the reform process.” He mentioned France’s support to Ethiopia to renovate the Lalibella Churches and the National Palace as demonstrations of solidarity and friendship with Ethiopia.

Temesgen Tilahun, Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, gave an extensive presentation about investment opportunities in Ethiopia, detailing the government policies, incentives, and readiness to support and accompany investors in Ethiopia. He also held bilateral discussions with many French company representatives with investments already in the country and those exploring investment in the Ethiopian market. He, in particular, held fruitful discussions with Phillippe Gautier, the President of MEDEF International, the association of the biggest companies in France, which is working on the possibility of organizing a tour in Ethiopia for business entities. 

Finally, the forum was concluded by the Business-to-Business meetings held among the Ethiopian and French Business owners who participated in the forum. Companies from France, working in agro-processing, tourism, manufacturing, ICT, creative industries, and aviation, including 15 businesspeople from Ethiopia took part in the Forum.