Ethiopia, Greece Agree to Bolster Bilateral Ties, Multilateral Cooperation

Addis Ababa: State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mesganu Arga held fruitful discussions today with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulos, on bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual concern in Athens.On the occasion, Ambassador Mesganu briefed his Greek counterpart on issues related to the implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement, the National Dialogue and the Transitional Justice Policy.Issues related to Ethiopia's quest for access to the sea and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam were also part of the briefing, according to Ethiopian Embassy in Rome. During the discussion, Ambassador Mesganu mentioned the historical relationship between the two countries, which is manifested by cultural and historic people-to-people relations.He emphasized the need to further strengthen relations in the political and economic spheres.Adding to his call to scale up relations in trade, investment and education, the state minister extended an invitation to the Greek business community to explore investment opportunities in Ethiopia.Discussing Ethiopia's efforts for the last three years to mitigate the impact of climate change, Ambassador Mesganu said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia has been able to plant over 32 billion tree seedlings and will reach 50 billion in 2026.The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulos, on her part, highlighted the interest of her country in strengthening the historical relationship with Ethiopia.She mentioned Greece's experience in green energy development and the possibility of cooperation with Ethiopia on issues of climate change.Furthermore, she emphasized the need to strengthen the relationship in trade, investment and education.Following the constructive discussions, the two sides agreed to scale up their economic cooperation in different spheres, recognize the need for collaborative efforts to address global challe nges and strengthen their cooperation in multilateral forums.Source: Ethiopian News Agency