ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – July 30, 2025 – H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, held a high-level discussion with Mr. Philipp Knill, Director for Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to reaffirm the two countries’ strong partnership and set the stage for upcoming government-to-government negotiations scheduled for November 2025.

The meeting underscored Ethiopia’s unwavering commitment to advancing its ambitious economic reform agenda, enhancing governance, and strengthening collaboration with Germany—its largest bilateral development partner. H.E. Sewasew emphasized key areas for deepened cooperation, including agricultural value addition and agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, social protection systems, governance, and fiscal reforms.

The State Minister provided updates on the country's recovery and reform trajectory, highlighting progress in reconstruction efforts, civil service reform, and rebuilding public infrastructure such as schools and health facilities. She also welcomed Germany’s continued engagement in Ethiopia’s economic modernization efforts, including through budget support, capacity building, and targeted investment in strategic sectors.

Mr. Knill reaffirmed Germany’s strong interest in Ethiopia’s development path and acknowledged the country's significant progress in maintaining macroeconomic stability. He noted Germany’s commitment to supporting social safety nets, access to essential services, and inclusive economic growth, and welcomed Ethiopia’s focus on improving the enabling environment for private sector engagement. She also emphasized the importance of structured public-private dialogue to address trade and customs-related bottlenecks and further unlock economic potential.

Both parties agreed on the importance of preparing for the upcoming bilateral negotiations, which will focus on deepening cooperation in priority sectors and unlocking additional German and European financing for development and investment. Plans are also underway to host a business and investment forum in Berlin later this year to highlight opportunities in Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical, energy, agro-processing, and mining sectors.

H.E. Sewasew also called for continued German support for Ethiopia’s active participation in the African Climate Summit. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership and mobilizing greater international cooperation to support Ethiopia’s inclusive recovery and long-term development goals.