Ethiopia Hosts 2025 Annual General Meeting of ID4Africa
Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Participates in the 3rd AU-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels
China and Ethiopia Strengthen Cooperation in Agricultural Development and Trade
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed conducted a European tour for strategic talks with European leaders. On Sunday (May 26), he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome to discuss economic partnerships and development cooperation. He also visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on the same day. Last week, on Monday (May 22), he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on regional security and economic ties.
The 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ID4Africa was held in Addis Ababa from May 20 to 23 , bringing together over 2000 participants from more than 100 countries, including delegates from over 50 African states. The event was formally opened by Prime Minister Abiy and marked the largest gathering in the movement’s history. (See article)
On Wednesday (May 28), Prime Minister Abiy visited the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute to review Earth-to-space data research supporting national forecasting and planning.
Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh opened the 51st African Insurance Organization Conference in Addis Ababa on Monday (May 26), urging transformation of the insurance sector into a driver of economic growth.
The 3rd African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Ministerial Meeting convened on Wednesday (May 21), in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers from the two regions, higher officials of the African Union and the European Union, senior officials and Civil Society Organizations. Ethiopia was represented by a delegation led by Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewos, at Ministerial segment. (See article)
Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente, met with Zhang Xingwang, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, on Tuesday (May 27) in Addis Ababa, for discussions focused on deepening bilateral cooperation in agricultural modernization and trade. (See article)
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera received Kuwaiti Ambassador Nayef Al-Otaibi on Wednesday (May 28) to discuss deepening economic ties, boosting investment, and expanding development cooperation.
On Tuesday (May 27), Ambassador Hadera also met EU Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sofie From-Emmesberger to reflect on over 50 years of Ethiopia-EU partnership and reaffirm mutual commitment to future cooperation.
On Saturday (May 24), Ambassador Hadera participated in the Africa Day 2025 celebration hosted by the African Union, delivering remarks under the theme “Revisiting Our History, Shaping Our Future.”
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ambassador Nebiat Getachew, during a press briefing on Thursday (May 30), briefed journalists on current national, regional and international issues, highlighting Addis Ababa’s recent role in hosting major summits. Ambassador Nebiat underscored that these events reaffirm the city’s status as a diplomatic hub and a preferred venue for international conferences.
Ethiopia and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation during the Brazil–Africa Dialogue held in Brasília from May 19–23.
Ethiopia took part in the 13th International Meeting of High-Level Security Representatives in Moscow on Wednesday (May 28), led by Ambassador Genet Teshome. The forum, attended by over 100 countries, opened with a keynote by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As Chair of the Africa Group for May, Ethiopia participated in a flag-raising ceremony for Africa Day in New York City on Monday (May 26), attended by the Mayor of New York, UN Deputy Secretary-General, AU Permanent Observer, and other dignitaries.
A Coffee Trade Forum was held in Rabat on Wednesday (May 28), co-organized by the Ethiopian Embassy and the Casablanca Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador Nardos Ayalew highlighted Ethiopia’s coffee heritage and called for stronger exporter-importer ties.
Eritrea
Eritrea marked its 34th Independence Day on Saturday (May 24) under the theme “Our Cohesion – Our Armour,” with President Isaias Afwerki delivering a keynote address emphasizing national unity and resilience.
Djibouti
On Wednesday (May 28), Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed met with UN Special Envoy Jean Todt to enhance cooperation on road safety and oversee implementation of the Interministerial Committee for Road Safety.
Kenya
On Wednesday (May 28), President William Ruto met UN-Habitat Executive Director Ana Claudia Rosas in Nairobi to discuss matters of mutual interest and reaffirm Kenya’s partnership in sustainable urban development.
The same day, President Ruto held talks with a World Bank delegation led by Vice President Ndiamé Diop and Country Director Qimiao Fan to discuss shared development goals.
On Monday (May 26), President Ruto hosted former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his delegation from the Tony Blair Institute at State House Nairobi to explore collaboration in agriculture and ICT aimed at enhancing food security and government efficiency.
Africa and the African Union
Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, was received on Thursday (May 30) in Riyadh by Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Their discussion highlighted growing ties between the African Union and Saudi Arabia, with emphasis on development cooperation, investment financing, and strategic partnership.
AUC Chairperson Youssouf paid a courtesy call on Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie on Tuesday (May 27), praising the city’s transformation and reaffirming the AUC’s commitment to deeper cooperation.
IGAD and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to peace and security during a partnership dialogue in Djibouti on Wednesday (May 28). IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu and EU Ambassador Denisa-Elena Ionete co-chaired the meeting, which addressed political, security, humanitarian, and climate challenges in the Horn of Africa.
The African Union commemorated Africa Day on Saturday (May 24) in Addis Ababa. AUC Chairperson Youssouf urged Africans to shape their own future, asserting that Africa must no longer be an afterthought in global geopolitics.
Ethiopia Hosts 2025 Annual General Meeting of ID4Africa
The 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of ID4Africa was held in Addis Ababa from May 20 to 23 , bringing together over 2000 participants from more than 100 countries, including delegates from over 50 African states. The event was formally opened by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and marked the largest gathering in the movement’s history.
Established in 2014, ID4Africa is a pan-African initiative that supports the development of responsible and inclusive digital identity systems. These systems are regarded as essential tools for socio-economic development, digital transformation, and the effective delivery of public services. The 2025 AGM was held under the theme “Digital Identity at Scale: Prioritizing Use, Accelerating Impact.”
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Abiy highlighted Ethiopia’s transition from a fragmented national identification system to the implementation of Fayda, a secure and inclusive digital identity initiative developed under the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy. To date, over 15 million individuals have been registered, with the programme aiming to cover 90 million citizens. Fayda is integrated across key sectors, including finance, health, and education, and has facilitated transactions amounting to 9.6 trillion birr.
The Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, Joseph Atick, expressed his appreciation for Ethiopia’s efforts in advancing digital identity. He noted that the selection of Ethiopia as the 2025 host country followed a competitive process in which six countries submitted proposals. Ethiopia was selected in recognition of its commitment to strengthening identity infrastructure and policy.
Yodahe Araya Selassie, Director of the Ethiopian National ID Program, also addressed participants. He provided an overview of Ethiopia’s progress in implementing its digital identity system and underlined the importance of collaboration in building trusted and effective identity ecosystems.
The AGM featured sessions that addressed the practical implementation of digital ID systems, with a particular focus on encouraging both adoption and responsible use. Participants examined how public and private institutions can incorporate digital identity into service delivery while safeguarding individual rights and promoting accessibility.
Since its first meeting in Dar es Salaam in 2015, the ID4Africa AGM has served as a key platform for dialogue on digital identity across the continent. The 2025 edition reaffirmed the relevance of coordinated efforts in building identity systems that support inclusive development and governance in Africa.
Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Participates in the 3rd AU-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels
The 3rd African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) Ministerial Meeting convened on Wednesday (May 21), in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was co-chaired by Tete António, Foreign Minister of Angola and Chairperson of the Executive Council of the African Union, and Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Union. The meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers from the two regions, higher officials of the African Union and the European Union, senior officials and Civil Society Organizations. Ethiopia was represented by a delegation led by Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewos, at Ministerial segment.
This significant gathering was preceded by a Senior Officials meeting held on Tuesday (May 20) in Brussels. The Senior Officials convened in a preparatory session and deliberated on the outcome documents of the Ministerial Session.
The Ministerial meeting deliberated on pressing global issues surrounding prosperity, peace and security, migration, and multilateralism, among others. The meeting welcomed the milestones achieved in the implementation of the Joint Vision 2030, an initiative stemming from the 6th AU-EU Summit held in 2022 in Brussels. This vision serves as a framework to enhance collaboration between Africa and Europe by promoting sustainable development, security, and stability. The Ministers agreed to take stock of the progress achieved over the past couple of years before the convening of the 7th AU-EU Summit set to be held in 2025 in Africa.
Minister Gedion, who addressed the gathering on the thematic area of prosperity emphasized the need to strengthen the partnership between the two continents for tangible outcomes. He stressed the need to upscale Public-Private investment within the framework of the Global Gateway Initiative in the areas of energy, agriculture, infrastructure, digitalization and other flagship projects essential for realizing the full potential of Africa.
The discussions held at this meeting underscored the importance of multilateralism in a world increasingly intertwined yet facing numerous challenges. The Ministers deliberated on the importance of embracing the spirit of collaboration and shared responsibility that reinforce the partnership.
The issue of migration was also discussed during the Ministerial Session, which underlined the importance of addressing the root causes of migration, while encouraging regular two-way movement of the flow of citizens of the two continents based on international law.
The Ministerial meeting concluded by issuing a Joint communique, reaffirming the commitment of the two Unions to foster partnership, strengthen multilateralism and upscale mutually beneficial investments.
The meeting provided a timely platform to renew commitments towards a comprehensive partnership that addresses core issues affecting both regions. This partnership holds the promise to foster greater understanding and cooperation between the two continents.
China and Ethiopia Strengthen Cooperation in Agricultural Development and Trade
Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente, met with Zhang Xingwang, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, on Tuesday (May 27) in Addis Ababa, for discussions focused on deepening bilateral cooperation in agricultural modernization and trade.
The meeting emphasized both countries’ commitment to implementing the priorities outlined in the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Action Plan for 2025–2027, particularly under the framework of accelerating agricultural modernization in Africa. Agriculture remains a key area of collaboration within the broader Ethiopia-China strategic partnership.
Minister Girma acknowledged the long-standing support of the Chinese government in Ethiopia’s development efforts and noted the growth of Ethiopia’s agricultural exports to China, including coffee and other high-value commodities. He also outlined current initiatives to diversify these exports to include certified meat products.
He expressed interest in further collaboration on agricultural mechanization, irrigation development, and innovation to improve productivity. In particular, he highlighted the role of the Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, which has supported capacity building and the transfer of agricultural technologies.
Vice Minister Zhang recognized Ethiopia’s position as a major African exporter of agricultural products to China and noted the country’s efforts to modernize its agricultural sector. He confirmed China’s willingness to expand cooperation in areas such as horticulture, fruit production, agricultural machinery, irrigation infrastructure, and inspection and quarantine protocols.
Both parties agreed to enhance the “green channel” initiative for African agricultural exports and explore ways to align China’s tariff-free access mechanisms with Africa’s special economic and free trade zones. These efforts aim to facilitate greater market access and increase the volume of trade in agricultural products.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to further strengthen agricultural ties between the two countries as part of broader South-South cooperation. The partnership is intended to support food security, technological exchange, and inclusive economic development.
Leave Your Comments Here