Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide has held a series of high-stakes meetings with top officials from the United States and the European Union, marking a significant step in the nation’s push for foreign investment and regional integration. 

In a high-level dialogue with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Ahmed Shide detailed the "positive progress" of Ethiopia’s macroeconomic reforms and their role in opening the economy to international competition. A standout moment of the talks was the Minister’s pitch for the New International Airport Project; he explicitly invited U.S. financial institutions and contractors to partner in the development of the strategic hub. Landau praised the reform trajectory and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and supporting Ethiopia’s health and development sectors.

The diplomatic push continued in Mogadishu, where Ahmed met with the European Union’s Myriam Ferran ahead of the 27th Horn of Africa Initiative. The meeting proved highly productive, with the EU pledging to finance the critical Ethiopia–Djibouti transport corridor to boost regional trade. 

The two officials also reached an understanding to bolster support for Ethiopia’s macroeconomic stabilization programs and celebrated the success of the RISED initiative in advancing renewable energy and digitalization. As regional leaders gather to discuss energy connectivity across the Horn of Africa, these dual high-level meetings underscore a growing international consensus to back Ethiopia’s role as a central economic and logistics gateway.