The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, signed on the 6th of February 2023, the Ethiopian-Italian Cooperation Framework 2023 – 2025 for a total of 140 million euros which will be provided through soft loans (100 million Euro) and grants (40 million Euro).
The two main pillars of action are the economic development and job creation and the access to basic services therefore access to quality health services, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and inclusive education. The programme will be implemented trough bilateral programs (loans and grants) and multilateral programs (grants) with the international agencies.
During the institutional visit, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, and the Ethiopian Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, signed two important development cooperation documents. The two signed agreements enable the beginning of two new programs “Minimising investment risk in the Ethiopian coffee sector and institutional support to the Ethiopian coffee authority (ECTA)” worth around 13 million of euros that reaffirms the historical cooperation of Italy on the development of the economic sector and the tradition of Ethiopia on the coffee value chain. The other initiative, “Integrated Water Resources Management Programme – Basin scale resilience initiative for Ethiopia – BASRINET” value of 34,5 million of euros will focus on wash, energy and environment, essential sectors of intervention, in a country that has been affected by continuous droughts and climate shocks.
On the side, on 27 January 2022, the Joint Committee for Italian Development Cooperation approved three initiatives worth more than 13 million of euros in Ethiopia. The main project will focus on strengthening the health system through addressing the social determinants of health (WaSH, nutrition, education, livelihood, gender norms) and on income generating activities focusing on women and vulnerable people with an environmentally sustainable approach.
Once again, Italy reconfirms its commitment to Ethiopia’s sustainable growth by consolidating the historical ties and the importance of Ethiopia as a priority Country for the Italian development cooperation.
