Events of the first day of the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus M.Ryzhenkov to Ethiopia
13 April 2025
On April 13, 2025, whithin the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Maxim Ryzhenkov, to Ethiopia, he held negotiations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Gedion Timotheos. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus and the Deputy Minister of Industry of the Republic of Belarus.
Following the negotiations, the parties agreed to intensify work on a roadmap of cooperation to be signed at the level of the leaders of the two countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, G.Timotheos, supported the position of the Belarusian party that the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation should become the main instrument for the development of bilateral trade. The issues of its establishment are currently under active consideration.
The parties paid special attention to cooperation in the agricultural sector. It was highlighted that the modernisation of Ethiopia's agriculture with the use of Belarusian technologies and equipment, including the organisation of assembly plants and training of personnel on the basis of Belarusian educational institutions, will open up new prospects for mutually beneficial partnership.
The projects will be detailed during a series of working meetings at the level of the relevant ministries of the two countries.
Minister Ryzhenkov also invited Ethiopian business to more actively visit Belarusian thematic exhibitions, including Belagro-2025.
In the humanitarian sphere, the parties agreed to hold Days of Belarusian Culture, Education and Sports in Ethiopia, which will contribute to strengthening bilateral ties.
The negotiatiations confirmed the mutual interest of Belarus and Ethiopia in deepening multifaceted cooperation.
During the meetings with business representatives, the parties discussed specific projects to set up assembly plants in Ethiopia based on Belarusian technologies and competences, including assemblies of tractor and agricultural vehicles.
On the same day, the Belarusian Foreign Minister visited the Memorial Complex in honour of the victory at Adua.
For reference: On March 1, 1896 the Ethiopian troops under the command of Emperor Menelik II defeated the Italian army, defending the country's sovereignty and preventing its colonisation. This victory, enshrined in the Treaty of Addis Ababa, made Ethiopia a symbol of anti-colonial resistance in Africa. The Battle of Adua remains a key element of national pride and March 1 is celebrated as a public holiday.
During the conversation with the management of the memorial, Minister Ryzhenkov noted the historical parallels between Belarus and Ethiopia: both countries, having gone through the struggle against external aggression, made the victory over the invaders a symbol of their national identity. For Ethiopia, such an event was the Battle of Adua in 1896, when the country defended its independence, becoming the only non-colonised state in Africa. In Belarus, the key historical reference point is Independence Day, celebrated on July 3 to commemorate the liberation of Minsk from fascist German troops in 1944.
