Ethiopia Remains One of Russia’s Key Partners in Africa - Valentina Matvienko

Addis Ababa, February 18, 2025 (ENA)-- Ethiopia is one of Russia’s most important and key partners in Africa, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko told ENA.

The Speaker explained that close Russian-Ethiopian inter-parliamentary cooperation plays a crucial role in strengthening and developing political dialogue at various levels.

She further highlighted that the two countries are actively collaborating  on the platform of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Recall that Ethiopian delegation participated in the 10th anniversary events of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg last year to strengthening the role of parliaments in multilateralism for fair global development and security.

Matvienko recalled a productive discussion during the event with the Speaker of Ethiopia’s House of Federation (HoF), Agegnehu Teshager.

“I remember being deeply impressed by the brilliant statement by Agegnehu Teshager, the Speaker of  HoF. It became evident to me that the Ethiopian-Russian inter-parliamentary dialogue is a discussion between like-minded people striving for a more perfect world order,” she underscored.

Matvienko also elaborated on the multifaceted relations between the two countries, stating that, “Ethiopia is one of Russia’s most important and key partners in Africa.”

She noted that Ethiopia was the first African state with which Russia established official diplomatic ties.

"This year marks the 127th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. Over these years, we have built a rich history of cooperation based on respect, trust, and equal partnership," she said.

The speaker further explained that high-level meetings continue to provide a powerful impetus to bilateral relations. Over the past two years, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has visited the Russian Federation twice: in July 2023, on an official visit during the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, and in October 2024, during the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

Russia welcomes Ethiopia's successful full-fledged entry into BRICS during the Russian chairmanship in 2024.

 Ethiopia's participation in this new format of global governance is also anticipated to contribute to establishing strong and long-term political cooperation with other BRICS states, benefit Ethiopia's economic growth, and facilitate trade within the association and bilaterally with member states.

Moreover, the trade and investment ties between the two countries are also promising.

Currently, Russian companies are engaged in several projects in Ethiopia across various fields, including automotive, chemical, electrical, food industries, transport, information and telecommunications technologies, agriculture, and energy.