- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, visited key development projects in the southwestern city of Jimma on Monday, underscoring the growing ties between Ethiopia and Italy.

The two leaders toured the historic Abba Jifar Palace, which has recently undergone extensive renovation. They also visited the restored Boye Lake, where new infrastructure has been developed to support tourism and ecological conservation. In addition to these sites, the delegation observed other major urban renewal and infrastructure projects underway across the city.

Prime Minister Meloni's visit to Ethiopia comes as Italy co-hosted the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4) was held in Addis Ababa. The summit aims to assess global progress on transforming food systems to ensure food security, resilience, and sustainability. Italy has partnered with Ethiopia in organizing the summit, highlighting their shared commitment to agricultural transformation and climate-smart development.

Jimma, a historic city known for its coffee heritage and cultural significance, is one of Ethiopia's rapidly developing urban centers. Recent efforts by the federal government have focused on revitalizing regional cities to promote balanced national development, boost tourism, and create economic opportunities at the local level.

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The visit by both leaders reflects Italy's expanding engagement in Ethiopia's development sectors, particularly agriculture, heritage restoration, and urban infrastructure.

Earlier, Ethiopia and Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in agricultural productivity, technology transfer, and capacity building, especially in the coffee sector,an area where Jimma plays a pivotal role as one of the country's prime coffee-producing states.