Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has arrived in Addis Ababa. She was welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Bole International Airport. Her visit is to attend the second Italy-Africa Forum.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Addis Ababa. The arrival took place on February 13, 2018 (Fana BC), at Bole International Airport. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Dr.) welcomed her and stated in his address that the event builds a strong partnership between Italy and Africa.
In his speech at the forum, Prime Minister Abiy said the partnership between Africa and Europe should be based on mutual benefit. He emphasized that cooperation should be founded on equality and shared benefit, not charity. He noted that Italy's "Mattei Plan" focuses on energy security, sustainable development, migration management, and human capital development through partnership and mutual gain.
Ethiopia assured its competence in turning words into action. It is working to amplify Africa's voice through aviation, logistics, and hosting global conferences. Africa's greatest strength is its youth population, and investing in digital technology and artificial intelligence is key to job creation and addressing future challenges, he stated. The Mattei Plan aligns with Ethiopia's economic reforms, hydropower, aviation assets, smart agriculture, infrastructure, digital transformation, and human capital development, he observed.
Meanwhile, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and Kenyan President William Ruto have arrived in Addis Ababa to attend the 39th African Union Summit and the Italy-Africa Forum. The AU Summit is guided by the theme "Ensuring sustained water supply and protected sanitation systems; success of Agenda 2063." The partnership should strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and creation sectors.
