Addis Abeba — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow remains ready to respect Ethiopia's priorities in the area of military cooperation, while reaffirming a broader commitment to strengthening bilateral relations in energy, trade, and diplomacy.
Lavrov made the remarks following talks with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos, during which the two sides reviewed the progress of their intergovernmental working group on military-technical cooperation, Russian news agency TASS reported.
"We spoke about the successful work of the intergovernmental working group on military-technical cooperation. It met in May. We have very good traditions in this sphere too, and we are always ready to take into account our Ethiopian friends' interests in the area of ensuring their defense capacities," Lavrov said.
He highlighted that discussions also focused on expanding cooperation in economic and scientific sectors, adding that Moscow intends to "more efficiently use the potential of the intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, and scientific-technical cooperation."
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Lavrov recalled that the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 25 September produced a range of agreements, including in the nuclear energy sector.
"We agreed that our foreign ministries will help develop and boost trade and economic ties, promote mutually beneficial energy projects, including in the nuclear energy sector. This is a new area of our cooperation," he said.
The foreign minister added that Russia and Ethiopia have longstanding traditions of cooperation in public health, culture, and education. He also stressed the need to strengthen financial cooperation to safeguard trade and investment from what he called "illegal unilateral sanctions" imposed by Western nations.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Yevgeny Terekhin said Moscow is prepared to assist Addis Ababa in upgrading its Soviet-era power plants to enhance energy sovereignty.
"Upgrading existing plants is an economically feasible and rapid way to increase electricity generation, which can complement Addis Ababa's efforts to increase energy sovereignty," Terekhin told TASS, noting that the issue will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Ethiopian Commission in November.
Terekhin added that Russian companies have "unique competencies and proven technologies" to modernize and extend the service life of energy facilities built with Soviet support, offering "flexible solutions" to boost capacity and reliability.
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The ambassador also noted that Ethiopia, as the seat of the African Union, is among the leading candidates to host the Russia-Africa Summit in 2026, citing its developed infrastructure and role as the continent's political capital.
"If the Ethiopian side submits a formal request, Addis Ababa--considering its unique status and developed infrastructure--will be among the leading candidates to host this important event," he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that preparations for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled to take place on the continent in 2026, are already underway.
