BEIJING – A senior Ethiopian delegation led by H.E. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance, and comprising Dr. Eyob Tekalign, Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Ethiopian Airlines Group, has commenced a high-level strategic mission to China. H.E. Ambassador Teferra Derebew, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to The People’s Republic of China, also attended the meeting.

The visit focuses on finalizing ongoing debt restructuring negotiations and advancing financing arrangements for the Bishoftu International Airport project.

During the mission, the delegation held a series of productive engagements with key Chinese financial institutions, including the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China, as well as major commercial lenders such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the China Development Bank (CDB). These discussions centered on concluding the debt treatment process and mobilizing new financing to support Ethiopia’s priority infrastructure investments.

Minister Ahmed Shide reported significant progress in the debt restructuring negotiations, noting that the parties have entered the final stage of concluding the exercise. He emphasized that successful completion of the process will provide critical fiscal space and enable the Government to accelerate broader macroeconomic reforms and growth-oriented development initiatives.

The Chinese financial institutions, for their part, commended Ethiopia’s strong macroeconomic reform achievements under the leadership of H.E. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). They praised the Government’s constructive engagement and the substantial progress achieved in advancing the debt restructuring process. They also reaffirmed their continued support for Ethiopia’s economic reform efforts and long-standing development partnership.

Furthermore, Minister Shide underscores the strength of the Ethiopia–China strategic partnership and encouraged the financial institutions to expedite the appraisal and approval processes for the Bishoftu International Airport financing. He underscored the project’s strong economic fundamentals, high feasibility, and bankability, noting its importance in enhancing Ethiopia’s position as a regional aviation hub and supporting long-term economic transformation.

Both sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation between Ethiopia and China, particularly in the areas of infrastructure financing and broader economic partnership, building on the longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries