Washington d.c.: A high-level Ethiopian delegation, led by Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide, engaged in productive discussions with Ndiame Diop, World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, during the 2025 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings. Members of the delegation included Eyob Tekalign, Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Teklewold Atnafu, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, and other senior officials.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the discussions centered on Ethiopia’s ongoing macroeconomic reforms, progress of current projects, and priority areas for future collaboration. Minister Ahmed expressed appreciation for the World Bank’s substantial technical and financial support in advancing Ethiopia’s development agenda. He updated on pro-poor reforms and stressed the need for continued support, particularly in agricultural productivity, energy, human capital development, regional integration, and infrastructure.
Diop commended Ethiopia’s leadership and approach, noting the success of the reform program and the achievement of critical macroeconomic targets. He reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia through initiatives like Mission Energy 300 and Mission Agriconnect.
The Ethiopian delegation also met with the IMF’s Deputy Managing Director, Nigel Clarke, and senior leadership of the IMF’s Africa Department. The discussions focused on the IMF-supported program aligned with Ethiopia’s Homegrown Macroeconomic Reform Agenda. Ahmed acknowledged the IMF’s support and called for increased concessional financing. Governor Eyob briefed on Ethiopia’s debt restructuring negotiations under the G20 Common Framework.
Clarke highlighted Ethiopia’s reform agenda as a model for other countries and emphasized continued collaboration with development partners. He plans to visit Ethiopia in December to discuss the program with government institutions, policymakers, and the private sector.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Minister Ahmed held talks with Waleed Al-Bahar, Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. They discussed strengthening the partnership between Ethiopia and the Kuwait Fund, focusing on economic reforms, ongoing projects, and opportunities for enhanced engagement. Ahmed outlined Ethiopia’s development priorities, emphasizing the importance of private sector development and transport infrastructure.
Al-Bahar praised Ethiopia’s economic vision and early reform achievements, reaffirming the Kuwait Fund’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia, especially in financing large-scale infrastructure projects. He encouraged collaboration with the Arab Coordination Group to strengthen resource mobilization and coordination among Arab financial institutions.