Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, arrived in Mogadishu today to participate in the 27th Ministerial Roundtable of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).

On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Ahmed held a productive bilateral discussion with Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, focusing on strengthening cooperation under the Horn of Africa Initiative framework.

During the meeting, the Minister expressed Ethiopia's appreciation for the European Union's continued support, including its recent contribution--alongside partners such as the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to the Renewable, Integrated and Sustainable Energy and Digitalization (RISED) Program.

The two sides discussed ways to further enhance collaboration and reached an understanding on the EU's commitment to finance the Ethiopia-Djibouti transport corridor, a flagship regional project under the Horn of Africa Initiative.

They also agreed to strengthen support for macroeconomic reform programs, recognizing their importance for sustainable growth and regional stability.

The 27th HoAI Ministerial Roundtable will focus on accelerating access to reliable and affordable electricity, including advancing the financing of transmission and regional energy connectivity, as well as other priority interventions aimed at promoting resilience, integration, and inclusive development across the Horn of Africa.