Extends 645 mln Euros to AUC
ADDIS ABABA – The European Union (EU) has revealed interest to elevate its strategic partnership and cooperation with Ethiopia in different areas of mutual interest.
EU Ambassador to Ethiopia Roland Kobia confirmed the interest from member states of the Union to foster the cooperation during the press briefing with local media yesterday. “We have enjoyed strategic partnership with Ethiopia in health, economy, education, infrastructure, trade, migration, people-to-people ties and other arenas and it is in the interest of the Union to advance the collaboration.”
The EU has also been trying to help Ethiopia’s digitalization process and its efforts to connect with the East African region as well as at a continental level. Moreover, the EU has been facilitating political and development activities in Addis Ababa.
According to him, the EU is the second largest trade destination for Ethiopian exports and as part of economy and trade, the Union made different agreements to promote the latter’s private sector. “The budget suspension would be released when Ethiopia has an agreement with the IMF. The World Bank Group, bilateral donors and the EU are waiting for a macroeconomic framework solution in the country.”
Ethiopia is one of the EU’s strategic partners globally and they have established strong political and economic cooperation while the Union is committed to elevate the collaboration in different fields of significant importance.
Commenting on the deforestation regulation, Ambassador Kobia stated that Ethiopia has a real interest to fight and mitigate climate change and to adopt the regulation as its integral law.
For his part, the EU Ambassador to the African Union Javier Niño Pérez said that the Union has been working to support and promote peace and stability in the African continent in a bid to address the full spectrum of instability and chaos. “The EU is also providing capacity building training to African military, police and judiciary personnel.
As part of the EU-AU partnership, it is working to promote international cooperation, fight and mitigate climate change, strengthen the multilateral trading system and others. The EU member countries respect the freedom of speech and expression, human rights protection and other critical issues, he added.
During last year, the EU financed 645 million Euros to the African Union Commission (AUC). “We believe in European integration as African integration,” Ambassador Pérez emphasized.
BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2024
