ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – October 13, 2025 – The Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) have signed a landmark agreement launching a two-year initiative titled “Supporting Community Resilience through Community-Based Tourism and Heritage Conservation in the Wukro-Gheralta Belt, Tigray, Ethiopia.”.

The agreement was signed by H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister at the Ministry of Finance, and H.E. Agostino Palese, Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia. The €1.7 million project marks a renewed phase of cooperation between the two nations, aiming to promote sustainable livelihoods, peacebuilding, and cultural preservation in post-conflict areas.

H.E. Semereta Sewasew highlighted that the initiative carries both symbolic and strategic value, representing another milestone in the long-standing friendship between Ethiopia and the Italian Republic, rooted in shared history and sustained by mutual cooperation. She expressed gratitude for the Government of Italy’s solidarity, noting that by investing in heritage and people, “this initiative will help restore hope, create jobs, and preserve our cultural identity for future generations,”. She emphasized that the project reflects a shared conviction that cultural heritage, when integrated into local economies, serves as a powerful driver of resilience, identity, and inclusive growth. Furthermore, she added that tourism, when rooted in communities, is about empowerment, ensuring that local people become both custodians and beneficiaries of the heritage they preserve.

The project aligns directly with the post-conflict recovery agenda of the Pretoria Peace Agreement and Ethiopia’s Ten-Year Development Plan (2021–2030), which recognizes sustainable tourism as a key engine of local development and cultural diplomacy.

H.E. Agostino Palese, Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, reaffirmed Italy’s long-standing partnership and commitment, stating that the project reflects a shared belief that "culture and tourism can be powerful engines of peace, resilience, and prosperity,". The Ambassador noted that this agreement constitutes a step towards guaranteeing development in the tourist sector, complementing efforts in other areas such as the health sector.

The two-year initiative is set to revitalize the Wukro–Gheralta Belt, an area home to extraordinary cultural treasures that has faced adversity in recent years. The project focuses on the restoration of historical sites and the development of inclusive, community-based tourism enterprises.

The signing ceremony concludes Ambassador Agostino Palese's final term as Italy's ambassador to Ethiopia, with Ethiopia recognizing his dedication, friendship, and valuable contributions to bilateral relations.