Africa-Press – Ethiopia. The European Union (EU) has expressed commitment to further enhance the longstanding partnership with Ethiopia today.
Briefing the media, EU Ambassador to Ethiopia Roland Kobia revealed that the European Union is the second largest trading partner and export destination to Ethiopia.
The country exports 20 percent of its goods with the total worth of 130 billion Birr to Europe, and job opportunities have been created for thousands of people.
He further explained that the EU development cooperation portfolio in Ethiopia is one of the largest in Africa and in the world.
According to him, the EU is also providing humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced people.
Moreover, the European Union has recently pledged 16 million euro for the National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) that seeks to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate ex-combatants.
In his briefing, the ambassador disclosed that the launch of the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP), which is part of the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy, is set to be enacted from 2024-2027.
The aim of this partnership is to develop trusted and sustainable connections with partner countries, with the MIP focusing on three priority areas: the Green Deal, Human Development and Governance, and Peace building.
Under this newly announced framework, the European Union has pledged 650 million euro to propel Ethiopia’s development in a transformative, inclusive, and forward-looking manner, Ambassador Kobia said.
He further stated that Ethiopia has been one of the top 5 performing countries in the world and top in Africa both in terms of student selection and application in the Erasmus Scholarship programme since 2004.
Also, Ethiopia is one of the five priority countries identified in the Communication on establishing a new Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration.
The ambassador reiterated that the EU is ready to support peace and stability in the country, and progress in transitional justice and accountability in Ethiopia.
European Union Ambassador to the African Union, Javier Nino Perez said on his part that the EU works holistically in Africa, including access to education, health, equality and inclusive society.
Perez noted that Africa has huge potential of natural resources, including uncultivated arable land, minerals and other resources that need to be exploited by them.
EU companies are the main source of investment in Africa, and investors from member countries are participating in all areas of investment in the continent, he added.
The European Union Ambassador to the African Union pledged that the union will support Africans to bring about change in digitalization, free trade, agricultural development and various other fields.
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