Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and French President Emmanuel Macron held extensive bilateral talks at the National Palace in Addis Ababa, discussing a range of issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The two leaders also oversaw the signing and exchange of several major cooperation agreements, reflecting the growing partnership between Ethiopia and France, particularly in the fields of sustainable development, energy, and digital transformation.
Among the agreements was a €54.6 million loan to finance an integrated renewable energy and digitalization program aimed at supporting Ethiopia’s transition toward green energy and advancing its national digital development agenda.
The two sides also exchanged a new framework agreement and roadmap for a public-private partnership project to develop a 150-megawatt geothermal power plant, as Ethiopia seeks to expand renewable energy projects and attract private investment into the geothermal sector.
In a statement posted on social media, Abiy Ahmed said the discussions and agreements reflected the growing partnership between Ethiopia and France and their shared commitment to advancing sustainable development and bilateral cooperation.
The talks come amid strengthening ties between Addis Ababa and Paris, especially in strategic sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and technology. In February, the two countries signed a debt restructuring agreement alongside a new €81 million financing program to support Ethiopia’s ongoing macroeconomic reforms.
According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance, French investments and partnerships in Ethiopia now exceed €600 million, with more than half directed toward the energy sector.
Military cooperation has also expanded since a 2019 defense agreement under which French forces train Ethiopian troops. The arrangement was suspended during the early stages of the Tigray conflict in late 2020, before being reactivated in early 2023 following the Pretoria peace agreement.
France is seeking to strengthen its strategic presence around the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid growing international competition for influence in the region. Ethiopia, meanwhile, benefits from French naval and security training programs aimed at developing its maritime and defense capabilities.
The developments also come at a time of rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over Addis Ababa’s calls for sea access through Eritrea’s Assab port, fueling concerns about the possibility of renewed conflict between the two neighboring countries.