France grants Ethiopia 5 million Euro for renovation of Lalibela Churches

Addis Ababa, October 20, 2022 (FBC) – France has grated Ethiopia 5 million Euros for the renovation project of the rock hewn churches of Lalibela, the UNESCO inscribed world heritage site in Ethiopia.

The grant agreement has been signed between Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance, and Valérie Tehio, French Development Agency (AFD) Country Director in the presence of Rémi Maréchaux, French Ambassador in Addis Ababa.

The grant is seamlessly aligned with the agreement reached between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Emanuel Macron when the later visited Ethiopia in 2019.

Semereta said the grant will have a paramount significance in stimulating the Ethiopian tourism sector that has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the conflict in the north.

Valérie Tehio said reaffirmed France’s continued assistance to enable Ethiopia effectively utilize its immense tourism potentials for a better economic benefit.