Ambassador Lamek Calls for Increased French Investment in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, May 3, 2026 —The French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Alexis Lamek, has expressed optimism about Ethiopia’s evolving investment ecosystem and its potential to attract more companies from France.

He also recalled recent discussions with Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, describing him as a highly committed partner in advancing economic cooperation and facilitating investment.

Speaking to ENA, the Ambassador said there is a “clear window of opportunity” in Ethiopia for global companies, emphasizing the importance of continued efforts to improve the investment environment.

Ethiopia has been undertaking a broad set of economic and regulatory reforms aimed at improving its investment climate and attracting greater foreign direct investment.

This includes directives that allow foreign participation in trading activities under defined conditions, reflecting a deliberate effort to expand private sector involvement and increase competition in the domestic economy.

As a result of these reforms, Ethiopian authorities report increased investor interest and growing inflows of foreign capital, supported by wider macroeconomic liberalization efforts including financial sector reforms and improvements in digital investment services.

“I hope this will make progress and that we will see more and more investors,” Ambassador Lamek said.

Ambassador Lamek specifically called for stronger French investment presence in Ethiopia.

“I want to see more investors from France in this country. I think it is very important,” he said, adding that all economies benefit from attracting foreign direct investment.

He noted that investors generally prefer stable, efficient, and predictable environments, stressing the importance of close collaboration between governments and investment platforms to achieve this.

The Ambassador also highlighted the importance of informed investment decisions, noting that ongoing dialogues are helping attract more international investors.

He pointed out that many investors currently prefer working with Ethiopian Airlines due to its reliability and efficiency.

“At this moment, most investors want to work with Ethiopian Airlines because it is a very reliable and efficient partner. But I think there is more space in Ethiopia, and I would like to see investors also in other sectors and with other partners,” he said.

Lamek also commended existing partnerships such as the collaboration between MIDROC Ethiopia and Carrefour, describing it as a strong example of effective business cooperation.

“MIDROC, for example, is already working very closely with Carrefour, and I really want to commend that. This is also a very serious and solid company. But I want to see more of that. It is very promising for the future of relations between our two countries,” he added.

He noted that such investment models reflect a strengthening economic relationship between Addis Ababa and Paris, which he said will help Ethiopia attract more international businesses for mutual benefit.

Concluding his remarks, the Ambassador described ongoing engagement as constructive and expressed confidence in its role in strengthening economic ties and supporting long-term development.