Addis Ababa — State Minister of Finance Semereta Sewasew held a discussion with Head of Direct Financing at the French Treasury, Arthur Bauer on ways to strengthening economic cooperation between Ethiopia and France.
The State Minister said that the visit of Arthur Bauer and his delegations to Ethiopia would bolster the cooperation between the two countries further in different areas which includes strengthening the private sector, Energy, Agriculture, Civil Aviation, SMEs, and water sectors.
She explained that the country's plan for growth and development encourages private sector investments in areas of agro-processing, textile, and financial sectors and puts more effort into job creation by supporting SMEs.
Bauer also mentioned that France is collaborating with the European Union (EU), European Investment Bank (EIB), and other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) exploring ways to increase grants, and concessional loans and encourage private sector investment in Ethiopia in support of the home-grown economic reform program.
According to Ministry of Finance, there is a long tradition of historical cooperation between France and Ethiopia, which has been prolonged for over 125 years.
The meeting was a crucial step in strengthening relations between Ethiopia and France, and both parties expressed their commitment to continue working together to achieve mutual goals.
