June 20 , 2025
The inaugural Ethiopia-Armenia Political Consultation was held on Monday (June 9) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Hadera Aberra, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, and Vahan Kostanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Hadera underscored that this first-ever political consultation marks a significant milestone, reflecting the shared commitment of Ethiopia and Armenia to strengthen their bilateral relations and foster deeper cooperation across multiple sectors. The State Minister recalled the long-standing historical ties between the two nations, notably highlighting the 16th-century Ethiopian diplomatic mission to Europe led by “Matthew the Armenian,” which sought international support on behalf of Empress Eleni of Ethiopia.
While acknowledging the cordial and historic friendship between the two countries, Ambassador Hadera emphasized the need to expand cooperation in areas such as investment, trade, and tourism. He noted that the current level of engagement does not yet reflect the full potential of the bilateral relationship and urged both sides to intensify efforts to address this gap.
Deputy Minister Kostanyan, for his part, highlighted Armenia’s interest in translating its long-standing friendship with Ethiopia into concrete economic partnerships. He affirmed Armenia’s full support for Ethiopia’s efforts to combat terrorism and maintain peace and security in the East African region.
The two sides exchanged views on regional peace and security, and the status of bilateral ties. They also discussed ways to enhance cooperation within multilateral fora and explored mechanisms to strengthen economic, social, and cultural collaboration.
The consultations concluded with a mutual agreement to cooperate in priority areas including ICT and digitalization, smart agriculture, mining, digital governance (e-governance), technology transfer, health, education, and diplomatic training. Both sides also expressed commitment to work towards the preparation and signing of various bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in the years ahead.
During his visit, Deputy Minister Kostanyan paid a courtesy call on President Taye Atske Selassie. The President reaffirmed Ethiopia’s interest in deepening relations with Armenia and encouraged Armenian businesses to explore investment opportunities in Ethiopia. Deputy Minister Kostanyan conveyed a message from the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, and reiterated Armenia’s commitment to further strengthening its ties with Ethiopia.