Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide has confirmed that the country secured vital bilateral agreements during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, stating the high-level discussions successfully safeguarded Ethiopia’s national interests.

Minister Ahmed explained that the Ethiopian delegation, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, conducted highly successful talks with global heads of state and leaders of multilateral institutions during the gathering.

Key Discussions

The Prime Minister held strengthening talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa focused on bolstering bilateral ties between the two nations.

PM Abiy also engaged in individual discussions with leaders from Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, France, India, and Italy. These meetings centered on strengthening Ethiopia's bilateral relationships with each country.

The Prime Minister’s comprehensive schedule also included high-level meetings with: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank President Ajay Banga, European Union Council President António Costa and other senior institutional executives.

Advocacy for African Health

Minister Ahmed emphasized that the delegation successfully carried out numerous bilateral and multilateral discussions aligned with Ethiopia's strategic interests.

Notably, Ethiopia took on an advocacy role, representing African nations to call for the continuation and strengthening of international financial support for the health sector.

The Minister also highlighted a major development at the forum: the Global Fund, an international health support organization, announced $11 billion in new funding for African countries. Ahmed stressed that this substantial support will provide multifaceted contributions to Ethiopia, given its extensive national health programs.