Washington: The Finance Minister of Ethiopia Ahmed Shide and the Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States, Binalef Andualem, held productive bilateral discussions with officials from the US State Department today.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the discussion took place on the sidelines of the 2025 WB-IMF Spring Meetings and included US State Department officials such as Ambassador Troy Fitrell, Senior Bureau Official leading the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, and Vincent D. Spera, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
Finance Minister Ahmed Shide briefed the US officials on Ethiopia’s economic outlook and the government’s efforts to address global challenges and uncertainties. He also discussed the progress of Ethiopia’s macroeconomic reform, focusing on market liberalization measures and policies to enhance the business climate and attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The US officials commended Ethiopia’s reform achievements, particularly in building fiscal resilience through sound macroeconomic management and fostering a favorable business climate. They acknowledged the strong policy alignment of the two countries in deepening bilateral trade and promoting US business investment in Ethiopia.
Furthermore, the officials encouraged Ethiopia to collaborate with US financial institutions like the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and US EXIM Bank to explore financing options, including blended financing, to enhance trade and investment opportunities for private US companies in Ethiopia.
The two sides agreed to work jointly with relevant institutions, including the US Treasury, the US Department of Commerce, and the State Department, along with their Ethiopian counterparts, to deepen US-Ethiopia trade, development finance, and investment partnerships in areas of mutual interest.