NEWS IN A Week in the Horn 21.11.2025
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske-Selassie received Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan, on Tuesday (November 18). Their discussions focused on strengthening the growing cooperation between Ethiopia and Azerbaijan, particularly in trade, investment, agriculture, and connectivity. On the same day, the Special Envoy met with House of People’s Representatives Speaker Tagesse Chafo.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Addis Ababa on Tuesday (November 18). The two counterparts held bilateral discussions, followed by the premier of Malaysia carrying out several visits, including attending the first Ethio-Malaysia High-Level Business Forum.
Prime Minister Abiy visited the Artificial Intelligence Institute on Sunday (November 16) at its newly renovated premises. The Institute, transformed in under a year, now hosts advanced facilities supporting AI applications in health, agriculture, and the service sector, alongside national capabilities in cloud computing, large-scale data centers, robotics, data mining, and immersive technologies.
Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos met members of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission on Tuesday (November 18) for an exchange of views on the Commission’s work and its cooperation with the AU Peace and Security Council.
The 9th meeting of the Russia–Ethiopia Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Trade Cooperation was held from November 10 to 12 in Moscow. The Ethiopian delegation was led by Belete Molla, Minister of Innovation and Technology and Co-Chair of the Commission, while the Russian delegation was led by Maksim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development and Co-Chair of the Joint Commission. (See article)
State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera met on Thursday (November 20) with Ali Akbar Rezaei, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Ethiopia, to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.
Ambassador Hadera held discussions with UK Ambassador to Ethiopia Darren Welch on Tuesday (November 18) at his office, reaffirming Ethiopia–UK ties and reviewing areas for enhanced cooperation.
On the same day, Ambassador Hadera met with Sem Fabrizi, the newly appointed Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, to discuss bilateral relations and regional matters of shared concern.
Ambassador Hadera met UAE Ambassador Mohamed Salem Al-Rashedi on Tuesday (November 18) at his office. Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagement on shared priorities.
Ambassador Hadera received Dato’ Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary-General of Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday (November 17). The meeting reviewed six decades of Ethiopia–Malaysia relations and explored cooperation in aviation, tourism, investment, trade, manufacturing, industry, and mining. Both sides signed an Exchange of Notes establishing a bilateral consultation mechanism.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye met on Wednesday (November 19) with UNDP Resident Representative Samuel Gbaydee Doe to discuss strengthening development cooperation.
The Ethio-Saudi Arabia Business Forum convened in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (November 18), bringing together high-level government officials, diplomats, and business leaders to advance trade and investment cooperation. The event marked a significant step in expanding bilateral economic ties and creating new pathways for mutually beneficial partnerships. (See article)
A high-level Ethio–Sweden Investment Forum, themed “Yes, We Mean Business,” took place in Addis Ababa on November 12 and 13. The two-day forum aimed at deepening trade, investment, and innovation ties between Ethiopia and Sweden. It showcased concrete opportunities in Ethiopia’s construction and other key sectors for Swedish companies and investors, serving as a platform to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. (See article)
The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Nebiat Getachew, and the IGAD Head of Mission to Ethiopia, Abebaw Bihonegn, held a joint press briefing on Friday (November 21) on preparations for the 3rd IGAD Media Awards, scheduled for 29–30 November 2025 in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Uganda, Ambassador Etsegenet Yimenu, took part in the Inaugural Africa Health Summit in Kampala on Saturday (November 15), highlighting Ethiopia’s work to expand pharmaceutical manufacturing zones, strengthen research ecosystems, and enhance national vaccine-production capacity.
Djibouti
A delegation led by Redwan Hussien, Director General of Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, and Deputy Director General Sisay Tola arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday (November 19), where they were received by Service de Documentation et de Sécurité (SDS) Director General Hassan Said Khaireh and held discussions to strengthen bilateral and regional security cooperation.
Africa and the African Union
Foreign Minister Gedion met on Wednesday (November 19) with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa to discuss regional developments.
Ethiopia participated in the 17th Annual Retreat of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AUPSC) on the review of its working methods held in Abuja, Nigeria from November 5 to 7 and reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with the members of the Council on initiatives geared towards enhancing the peace and security of the continent. The retreat was followed by the Second Lessons Learned Forum on the African Standby Force (ASF) and the African Peace Support Operations (PSOs), which took place from November 8 to 9. (See article)
AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf met Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, Special Envoy of the President of Azerbaijan, on Tuesday (November 18), who delivered a message from President Ilham Aliyev.
AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf received Ricklef Beutin, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, on Tuesday (November 18) ahead of the 8th Annual Consultative Meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and the UNPBC.
AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf congratulated Ethiopia on securing the bid to host COP32 on Friday (November 14).