The financial agreement was signed by the Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia and the Government of Ireland in Addis Ababa.
The 8.4 million euro financial support agreement was signed by the Minister of Finance Ahmed Shede and Irish Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Sean Fleming.
From the total grant agreement, the first 5 million euros will be used for the Safety Net program and 3 million euros will be used to support sustainable development goals focused on health.
The remaining money will be used to support the homegrown economic reform program.
After the signing ceremony, in the speech given by the Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide thanked Ireland for its continued support of Ethiopia’s development activities.
The minister confirmed that all three agreements will be implemented in line with the government’s priorities.
Minister of State Sean Fleming for his part, called for these national programs to be implemented to reach those in need of social protection and health care services, especially women and children.
Ethiopia and Ireland were involved in a conflict due to the war in Northern Ethiopia and the diplomatic relations between the two countries were damaged.
Ireland’s relations with Ethiopia have been strained due to its repeated comments on Ethiopia’s war, which ended in a peace accord held in Pretoria, South Africa, a year ago.
Ethiopia also labeled persona Grata to four diplomats in Addis Ababa because of Ireland’s comments.
The two countries have now returned to their old diplomatic relations and they are working together on bilateral and multilateral diplomacy issues.
