Shide briefed the European Commissioner on the current socioeconomic and political situation in the African country and on concrete steps to build peace, reconstruction and recovery efforts.

Urpilainen, in turn, expressed her commitment to strengthen cooperation with the Ethiopian Government, and stressed the EU’s readiness to launch the Multiannual Indicative Program (2024-2027) on Tuesday to support the local government.

The 650-million-dollar program will prioritize green growth, inclusive human development, governance and peace building. Cooperation in these crucial sectors must be accompanied by active political dialogue with the government, Urpilainen emphasized.

According to the State Ministry, the two sides also exchanged views on ways of cooperation to further strengthen relations between Ethiopia and the EU, including the resumption of the budget support modality.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative, held in this capital, to address issues related to border areas and investments in the Ethiopian private sector.

The meeting was chaired by Shide and Urpilainen.

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