EU-Ethiopia Strengthening All-round Cooperation: Ambassador From-Emmesberger

Addis Ababa, July 2, 2026 (ENA) — The European Union's partnership with Ethiopia is entering a new phase of strengthened cooperation in trade, investment, and development, EU Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sofie From-Emmesberger, said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador From-Emmesberger stated that relations between Ethiopia and the European Union, driven by expanding engagement across economic, development, education, and strategic sectors, are on a positive trajectory.

She highlighted the successful Ethiopia-EU Business Forum, which brought together 250 European and 250 Ethiopian companies to explore new business and investment opportunities two months ago.

The EU Ambassador also mentioned the lifting of the visa restriction that previously required Ethiopians to submit applications 45 days in advance for travel to Europe, saying the move is already facilitating greater interaction between the two sides.

"This has now been lifted, and we see that this is now very much helping us in getting more engagement from everything, from business to culture; and your famous runners can travel more freely due to this," she said.

Ambassador From-Emmesberger described the measure as an important step toward strengthening business ties and people-to-people exchanges.

According to her, Ethiopia and the European Union share common interests in a number of strategic sectors, including energy, digitalisation, agro-industry, and healthcare.

"We have many areas where we share interest, where we cooperate, be it in energy, be it in digitalisation, agro-industry, health --- just to mention the key tracks."

The European Union is supporting investments in Ethiopia through its Global Gateway initiative, which is designed to mobilise sustainable investment in partner countries. Under the framework, several major infrastructure and renewable energy projects are being implemented, including the RISED energy project involving France and other European partners, as well as the Assela wind park financed by Denmark.

The Ambassador emphasised that the relationship between Ethiopia, the European Union, and its member states is built on centuries of historical ties, providing a strong foundation for expanding cooperation in education, research, culture, and innovation.

She disclosed that Ethiopian students have achieved remarkable success under the Erasmus+ scholarship programme, ranking among the top recipients globally this year.

"This year, Ethiopian students really scored among the top 20 globally on Erasmus+ scholarships," Ambassador From-Emmesberger said.

Erasmus+ is the European Union's flagship programme supporting education, training, youth and sport. Through its Erasmus Mundus scholarship scheme, the programme offers fully funded master's degree opportunities for Ethiopian students to study at leading universities across Europe, while also promoting academic exchange, research collaboration and institutional partnerships.

She added that educational exchanges are complemented by growing cultural cooperation through European cultural institutions operating in Addis Ababa, while Ethiopian Airlines' extensive network to European destinations continues to strengthen people-to-people connections.

The Ambassador also underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation, noting that Ethiopia and the European Union will continue working together on climate action, including preparations for COP32 and UN reform efforts.

Explaining Ethiopia's strategic importance, she cited the country's large population, expanding economic potential, ongoing reforms, strategic geographic location, youthful population, and its status as the seat of the African Union.

"Of course, the size of the population, the economic potential now with all the openings and reforms and this very strategic location are important elements. The young population is a big resource, and the fact that Ethiopia is also the base for the African Union makes it an important partner."

Looking ahead, the EU Ambassador said increasing high-level visits and dialogue between Ethiopia and the European Union have created a favourable environment for deeper engagement across a wide range of sectors.

"We are truly keen to collaborate as the European Union with Ethiopia, as there is much that we can do together," she added.

Ambassador From-Emmesberger finally reaffirmed that the European Union remains committed to further strengthening its partnership with Ethiopia and will continue working closely with the country to address shared global challenges while advancing sustainable development, economic growth, and regional stability.