Italy’s Dev’t Cooperation Minister meets with Deputy Prime Minister

Addis Ababa, June 28 (WIC) - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hailemariam Desalegn, met with Professor Andrea Riccardi, Development Cooperation Minister of Italy on Wednesday.

The talks in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covered bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that Ethiopia and Italy had long-lasting relations and cooperation, and he looked forward to these being strengthened by increased Italian investment and participation in the very substantial investment opportunities now available in Ethiopia.


Professor Riccardi said that those Italian investors already involved in Ethiopia expressed very positive ideas about investment in Ethiopia and he hoped this would encourage more to come and invest in Ethiopia. 


Ethiopia exports to Italy such commodities as coffee, hides and skin, cereals, textiles and marble while importing manufactured goods, machinery and construction equipment.

Professor Riccardi also emphasized the strategic role of Ethiopia in the region and in Africa and stressed that the government of Italy wanted to work with Ethiopia – indeed, despite the eurozone crisis Italy was determined to continue its cooperation with Ethiopia.
The Ethio-Italian Second Executive Program on Cultural Cooperation has now been finalized for signing.