Workneh Gebeyehu, the foreign minister of Ethiopia, meets with President Sauli Niinistö at Mäntyniemi in Helsinki on June 5, 2018. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
Workneh Gebeyehu, the foreign minister of Ethiopia, met with President Sauli Niinistö on Tuesday at the official residence of the president of the republic, Mäntyniemi.
Later Minister Gebeyehu met also with his Finnish counterpart, Timo Soini.
The topics of discussion during the foreign ministers’ meeting was the bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Finland, the relations between the European Union and Ethiopia, the situation in the Horn of Africa, and African integration.
The relations between Finland and Ethiopia are grounded on development cooperation, which has produced good results in various sectors, such as education, water and agriculture. In 2017, Ethiopia was Finland’s third-biggest recipient of development assistance.
In 2017, Ethiopia was Finland’s third-biggest recipient of development assistance.
The countries are seeking ways to diversify their relations by strengthening the political and commercial contacts. Ethiopia is an important actor in the Horn of Africa and internationally. It participates extensively in peacekeeping operations conducted by the UN and the African Union.
At present, Ethiopia is one of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
After his visit to Finland, Minister Gebeyehu will travel to Norway and Denmark, where he will attend the Africa-Nordic Meeting of Foreign Ministers.
