Addis Ababa, November 23, 2023 (FBC) – Ms. Semereta Sewasew, the State Minister of Finance, met on Wednesday with Mr. Arthur Bauer, the Head of Direct Financing at the French Treasury, to discuss ways of strengthening economic cooperation between Ethiopia and France.
After welcoming Mr. Arthur Bauer and his delegations, Ms. Semereta stated that the visit to Ethiopia would bolster the cooperation between the two countries further in different areas such as the private sector, energy, agriculture, civil aviation, SMEs, and water sectors.
Semereta explained that the country’s plan for growth and development that encourages private sector investments in areas of agro-processing, textile, and financial sectors and puts more effort into job creation by supporting SMEs.
For his part, Mr. Bauer mentioned that France is collaborating with the European Union (EU), European Investment Bank (EIB), and other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in exploring ways to increase grants and concessional loans as well as encourage private sector investment in Ethiopia in support of the home-grown economic reform program.
There is a long tradition of historical cooperation between France and Ethiopia, which has been prolonged for over 125 years.
It was indicated that the meeting was a crucial step in strengthening relations between Ethiopia and France, and both parties expressed their commitment to continue working together to achieve mutual goals.