Ethiopia, Italy Vow to Deepen Long-Standing Bilateral Partnership

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia and Italy have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen their long-standing bilateral partnership, ahead of the upcoming 2026-2028 cooperation agreement, which both sides say will mark a new milestone built on decades of collaboration.

State Minister of Finance Semereta Sewasew met today with Italy's newly appointed Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sem Fabrizi, to begin preparations for the new cooperation framework and explore opportunities to deepen ties.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the discussion underscored shared ambitions to drive economic growth, attract investment, and advance sustainable development in both countries.

The leaders focused on five key areas: addressing structural constraints, enhancing security, boosting trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), accelerating economic reforms, and strengthening economic cooperation.

Ethiopia's ongoing economic reforms and market opening offer significant opportunities for strategic partnerships, she stated, emphasizing the importance of innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs), to ensure long-term, sustainable business engagement.

Ambassador Fabrizi, for his part, reaffirmed Italy's commitment as a trusted partner and expressed strong support for the upcoming cooperation agreement.

Both officials reflected on the successful portfolio of existing initiatives and discussed priorities for 2026-2028, including agriculture and food security, support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship, vocational skills development, infrastructure programs, energy, tourism, and cultural programs.

The agreement will mark a new milestone in Ethiopia-Italy relations, reinforcing a shared vision for sustainable economic growth, investment, trade, and development.

The agreement is expected to unlock new opportunities for both nations while building on the strong foundations of trust and collaboration, it was indicated.

Read the original article on ENA.