Director General for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zerihun Abebe, said Ethiopia has elevated business diplomacy to a strategic priority, aligning diplomatic engagement with the country's economic transformation agenda.
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia is stepping up its business diplomacy to attract greater foreign direct investment (FDI) and expand international investment partnerships as sweeping economic reforms improve the country’s competitiveness and investment climate, a senior Foreign Ministry official told the state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).
Ambassador Zerihun Abebe, Director General for African Affairs at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government has elevated business diplomacy to a strategic priority, aligning its diplomatic engagement with the country’s broader economic transformation agenda.
In an interview with ENA, Zerihun said ongoing financial, legal and policy reforms have strengthened Ethiopia’s investment environment by improving the ease of doing business and addressing structural constraints that had previously limited the country’s ability to capitalize on its strategic location and economic potential.
“By making it known to the world that Ethiopia is open for business, together with improvements in the legal framework and economic reforms, we have created a foundation for investors from different countries to invest in Ethiopia in a way that benefits both Ethiopia and the investors,” Zerihun told ENA.
He said Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions are increasingly focused on promoting investment opportunities abroad, attracting foreign direct investment, expanding export markets, promoting tourism and supporting investment projects from initial engagement through implementation.
Zerihun said the government is also broadening the sources of foreign investment by attracting investors from Africa, the Gulf region and emerging Asian economies, reducing reliance on traditional investment partners.
He pointed to growing investment interest from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Vietnam, as well as increasing intra-African investment, as evidence that Ethiopia’s economic reform program is gaining international confidence.
Among recent developments, Zerihun cited the continued expansion of investments by Nigeria’s Dangote Group, the entry of Kenyan companies following the liberalization of Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector, and a Vietnamese solar panel manufacturing project that has begun generating foreign exchange earnings.
He added that the planned Bishoftu International Airport project has attracted significant international investor interest, while opportunities continue to expand across renewable energy, natural gas, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and manufacturing.
According to Zerihun, the government, under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is also encouraging Ethiopian companies to invest overseas as part of efforts to increase foreign exchange earnings, strengthen the country’s global commercial presence and deepen international economic partnerships.
He further said tourism infrastructure developed through the Prime Minister’s “Dine for the Nation” initiative, together with reforms in Ethiopia’s coffee sector, is enhancing the country’s position as both a tourism destination and an investment hub.
Ethiopia has implemented a series of macroeconomic and investment reforms in recent years, including measures to liberalize key sectors of the economy and encourage greater private sector participation, as the government seeks to accelerate economic growth and attract more international capital.
(Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horn Diplomat Desk)
 and expand international investment){kind=link}
