Spain reaffirms commitment to support Ethiopia’s dev’t undertakings

Addis Ababa, February 7, 2024 (FBC) – Ms. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance met with Ms. Carmen Magariños, Director General of Cooperation for Africa & Asia of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the newly appointed Spanish Ambassador Guillermo Lopez Mac-Lellan, along with other members of the visiting member of the delegation.

The Director General affirmed Spain’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening its assistance to Ethiopia, as outlined in the Framework Agreement signed one year before.  Strategic areas of collaboration between the two countries include working towards universal health coverage, building resilient and inclusive rural development, as well as focusing on programs that promote gender equality. Ms. Carmen Magariños said Ethiopia is a priority country for Spanish Cooperation.

She further emphasized the Spanish Cooperation will continue to encourage alliances with Ethiopian public institutions, civil society, the private sector, community groups, and other development partners to strengthen the effectiveness and quality of Spain’s supported initiatives in Ethiopia.

Ms. Semereta Sewasew, on her part, said Ethiopia considers Spain as a major partner in bilateral relations in development cooperation, trade, investment, aviation, and other fields. She also pledged to strengthen regular consultations for further cooperation between Ethiopia and Spain, working closely with the new Ambassador and his team to advance mutual interests.

After the meeting, the delegation visited the Spanish-supported project namely Women’s Empowerment for Socioecological Resilience of Coffee Value-chain against Climate Change in Ethiopia.

The project, according to the Ministry of Finance, aims at empowering women in the coffee value chain amidst the challenges of climate change.