European External Action Service

04/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/17/2026 03:07

Commissioner Síkela to visit Ethiopia and open EU-Ethiopia Business Forum

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela will visit Ethiopia on 20 and 21 April 2026, opening the EU-Ethiopia Business Forum in Addis Ababa and meeting with government, business and international partners. The visit aims to further deepen the EU-Ethiopia partnership through concrete deliverables and investments in the country.

The EU-Ethiopia Business Forum, running from 20 to 22 April, will bring together over 500 participants from Ethiopia, Europe and beyond - investors, companies, development finance institutions and government officials - for high-level discussions, business matchmaking and thematic panels across agribusiness, clean energy, digital transformation, health and manufacturing. Commissioner Síkela will open the Forum and participate in a signature ceremony marking new steps in the partnership.

Alongside the Forum, Commissioner Síkela will visit a number of projects illustrating the scope of EU engagement in Ethiopia, including the Coffee Training Centre of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, the ILO and IOM-supported Government Job Centre in Bole Bulbula, and the Africa CDC Emergency Centre and Laboratory in Addis Ababa.

Commissioner Síkela said: "Ethiopia has the scale, the growth, and the ambition to be one of Africa's defining economies in the coming decade. European companies are already here - in energy, in digital infrastructure, in agri-food. The Business Forum is the moment to build on that presence. I am going to Addis Ababa to have serious conversations with serious partners, and to make the case that deepening this partnership is good for Ethiopia and good for Europe."

Ethiopia is one of Africa's fastest-growing economies with GDP growth projected above 7% in 2026, a population of 135 million, and an increasingly central role in the Horn of Africa. The EU is Ethiopia's first destination for exports and its second-largest trading partner overall. Around 300 European companies are active in the country. This visit is about going further.

Background

The EU and Ethiopia have been partners for fifty years. The EU is Ethiopia's first export destination, with Ethiopian goods - primarily coffee, flowers and legumes reaching a record €1.5 billion in 2025. EU investment stock in Ethiopia stands at €3.51 billion across approximately 300 companies. The Global Gateway investment strategy frames the next phase of this relationship: strategic, sustainable investment that creates jobs, builds infrastructure, and opens markets for both sides.

The EU-Ethiopia Business Forum takes place from 20 to 22 April 2026 in Addis Ababa.

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