Ethiopia and France have publicly expressed their keen interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and strategic matters, following a dedicated bilateral meeting in Paris on November 3, 2025. The discussions, held on the sidelines of the Ethiopia–European Union Investment Forum, featured Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, and France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Nicolas Forissier, signaling a high level of political commitment to the economic partnership.
The dialogue covered a wide range of key investment areas, including industrial development, renewable energy, infrastructure/logistics, agro-processing, and digital transformation. Ethiopia’s officials highlighted progress under the country’s Home-Grown Economic Reform (HGER) Agenda, which aims to build a more resilient and competitive economy. France, in turn, commended Ethiopia’s reform efforts and reaffirmed its readiness to promote private sector engagement and enhanced trade facilitation.France’s continued engagement is particularly strategic, as it serves as the Chair of Ethiopia’s Official Creditors Committee under the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment and provides support through multilateral institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The discussions reinforce Ethiopia’s strategy of leveraging external, high-quality partnerships, like the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, to mobilize investment in critical infrastructure and secure sustainable, inclusive growth.
