A high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid an official working visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, from February 26–28, holding discussions on expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exploring opportunities to further strengthen bilateral engagement between Ethiopia and Azerbaijan.
During the visit, Prime Minister Abiy held a tête-à-tête and bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, at the Presidential Palace on Friday (February 27). The two leaders welcomed the steady growth of relations between their countries and agreed to further deepen cooperation across key sectors, including agriculture, mining, energy generation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, tourism, culture, education, capacity building, and experience sharing. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting each other in multilateral forums.
Alongside the high-level discussions, the Prime Minister and his delegation visited the Azerbaijan Defense Industry, the ALAT Free Economic Zone, the Azerbaijan Digital Institute and Academy of Artificial Intelligence, the Sangachal Terminal (Caspian Energy Center), and Baku’s Old City. Prime Minister Abiy also paid tribute to Azerbaijan’s National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, laying a wreath at his grave in honor of his legacy and contributions to the country.
Diplomatic relations between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of Azerbaijan were established on November 2, 1992. Ethiopia appointed its first non-resident Ambassador to Azerbaijan, accredited from Ankara, in December 2011, while Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Addis Ababa on December 28, 2012, its fifth diplomatic mission in Africa. The two countries also share longstanding people-to-people ties, with nearly 500 Ethiopian students having studied in Azerbaijan during the Soviet period.
Bilateral relations have gained renewed momentum in recent years through the exchange of high-level visits. President Taye Atske Selassie visited Baku in November 2024 and held discussions with President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of COP29. Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh also visited Azerbaijan in May 2024, during which a Memorandum of Understanding on modernizing public service delivery was signed between ASAN Service and Ethiopia’s Civil Service Commission.
During Prime Minister Abiy’s visit, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding covering cooperation in defense, agriculture, investment, COP32, anti-corruption, and media development and capacity building are aimed at strengthening political, economic, and social relations between the two countries.
Describing the visit, Prime Minister Abiy noted that relations between Ethiopia and Azerbaijan have expanded consistently in recent years, driven by growing collaboration in key economic sectors. The visit further strengthened high-level political engagement and broadened institutional cooperation in governance, economic development, and technological innovation.