Russian President Vladimir Putin described Ethiopia as a longtime, trusted friend on the African continent.

President Putin hosted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) in Moscow, where the leaders held discussions on bilateral and international issues and oversaw the signing of several agreements.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, welcome to Moscow; I am happy to see you here," President Putin said, extending a warm greeting.

President Putin noted that diplomatic ties between the two nations were established in 1898 and highlighted that "recently, our friendship has been developing progressively; our trade exchange is growing."

He mentioned his frequent meetings with Prime Minister Abiy and expressed his pleasure that the prime minister attended the current summit with a high-level Ethiopian delegation.

The Russian president also expressed his delight and gratitude for the prime minister's personal reception of a Russian delegation that visited Ethiopia in early 2025.

Emphasizing the significant growth in relations, President Putin reiterated, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, welcome once again."

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in turn, thanked President Putin for the invitation to the summit and for the warm reception.

He noted that a year had passed since their last face-to-face meeting at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, expressing hope that their next engagement would take place in Addis Ababa.

The prime minister described Ethiopia and Russia as nations with extremely strong bilateral relations, sharing similar history, religion, and numerous policy positions.

He explained that Ethiopia prioritizes cooperation based on mutual respect, aligns its strategy with shared priorities, and focuses on further engaging its friends in development and diplomacy.

Prime Minister Abiy agreed with President Putin that the friendship between Ethiopia and Russia is historic and in excellent standing, expressing confidence that the current visit would elevate this strong relationship to a higher level.