The Ministry of Water and Energy announced that the Bright Project, covering the Abay, Awash, and Tekeze basins, is nearing full implementation. The announcement came during a stakeholder discussion in Addis Ababa, organized by the Water and Land Resources Center.
A high-level Ethiopian delegation is participating in the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, this week. The group, led by House of Federation Speaker Agegnehu Teshager, represents Ethiopia at one of the world’s largest gatherings of parliamentarians.
Addressing the international forum, Speaker Agegnehu delivered Ethiopia’s national statement, reiterating the country’s commitment to multilateral cooperation through the IPU framework. He emphasized Ethiopia’s support for international efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The speaker outlined Ethiopia’s domestic development priorities, noting their alignment with both the UN’s SDGs and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. He referenced Ethiopia’s ongoing national development plan as evidence of this coordinated approach.
In his remarks, Agegnehu highlighted Ethiopia’s environmental initiatives, specifically mentioning the country’s large-scale tree planting program. He presented this as part of Ethiopia’s contribution to global climate change mitigation efforts.
The IPU assembly, which brings together legislators from 178 member states, serves as a platform for parliamentary diplomacy and international cooperation. Ethiopia’s participation underscores its continued engagement with global governance institutions.
The Ethiopian delegation is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other national delegations during the week-long conference. These discussions will focus on strengthening inter-parliamentary relations and sharing legislative best practices.
The Oromia Regional Government has taken a significant step toward modernizing agriculture with the official handover of 1,402 tractors to local farmers and agricultural organizations. The distribution ceremony, held today in Shashemene, marks one of the region’s largest single deployments of farming equipment to date.
Regional President Shimelis Abdisa presided over the event alongside other senior government officials. The tractors were allocated to a mix of individual farmers, cooperatives, and unions that had previously gone through a formal application and registration process with regional authorities.
This initiative represents a concrete effort by the Oromia administration to advance its agricultural mechanization program. By providing modern farming equipment directly to beneficiaries, the regional government aims to transform traditional farming practices across Ethiopia’s most populous region.
The Shashemene distribution follows established protocols, with all recipients having met official eligibility requirements. While the ceremony focused on the current handover, observers note this likely signals the beginning of broader mechanization efforts across Oromia’s agricultural zones.
This tractor distribution aligns with Ethiopia’s national priorities for agricultural development and food security. As the country’s primary crop-producing region, Oromia’s farming modernization efforts could have significant implications for both local livelihoods and national agricultural output.
The handover ceremony concluded with demonstrations of the new equipment, though operational challenges and training needs may emerge as farmers begin implementing the machinery in their fields. Government monitoring of the program’s implementation and impact is expected in the coming agricultural seasons.
Ethiopia’s trade sector has shown remarkable growth, with foreign trade volumes reaching USD 4.5 billion in just the first eight months of the current fiscal year. This represents a significant leap from the USD 2.6 billion recorded for the entire year in 2010, highlighting the country’s expanding economic footprint.
Trade and Regional Integration Minister Kassahun Gofe (PhD) shared these figures during a stakeholder forum discussing Ethiopia’s draft trade policy. The government has set an ambitious target to surpass USD 6 billion in total trade by the end of the fiscal year, building on current momentum.
A key development in Ethiopia’s trade landscape is the creation of its first comprehensive trade policy framework. For years, the country operated without a formal trade policy, but after extensive efforts, officials have now prepared a draft document to guide future commerce.
The ministry has also been busy implementing structural reforms, including issuing 2.5 million new business licenses to stimulate entrepreneurship. To boost consumer access and commercial activity, authorities have established over 1,300 weekend shopping malls across the country.
In a major push for quality control, Ethiopia has invested ETB 8.2 billion to build a state-of-the-art Quality Assurance Center. This facility will monitor more than 4.5 million tons of imported and exported goods annually, ensuring standards compliance.
Minister Kassahun connected these developments to Ethiopia’s broader macroeconomic reforms and its bid to join the World Trade Organization. He expressed confidence that the new trade policy demonstrates the country’s readiness for WTO membership while aiming to create a more competitive and sustainable trade environment.
The draft trade policy specifically focuses on facilitating regional economic integration, reflecting Ethiopia’s growing role as a commercial hub in East Africa. These collective efforts represent a comprehensive approach to modernizing Ethiopia’s trade ecosystem and positioning the country for greater global economic engagement.
The Ethiopian Birr has shown signs of strengthening against the US Dollar as the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) continues its scheduled foreign exchange auctions. The latest auction, held on April 1, 2025, saw the weighted average exchange rate settle at Birr 131.71 per USD, reflecting a 2.88% appreciation from the Birr 135.62 per USD recorded in the previous auction in February 2025.
The strengthening of the Birr reflects Ethiopia’s improving foreign exchange position, supported by a series of macroeconomic reforms introduced in July 2024. The country has experienced increased foreign currency inflows from exports, remittances, and capital investments. “NBE’s foreign exchange reserves have surged by more than 200% following the transition to a market-driven forex system,” said Governor Mamo Mihretu in his recent statement.
Further supporting the country’s financial outlook, Ethiopia has reached an agreement in principle with its official creditors to restructure USD 8.4 billion in external debt. This restructuring move is expected to ease financial pressures and strengthen Ethiopia’s position in ongoing negotiations with private creditors, including bondholders. The anticipated reduction in debt servicing obligations could create additional fiscal space, further stabilizing the country’s economic environment.
NBE’s shift to bi-weekly foreign exchange auctions is playing a crucial role in stabilizing the market by ensuring a steady supply of forex to the private sector. The reduction in the exchange rate indicates a potential easing of forex pressures, a positive sign for businesses reliant on imports and foreign transactions.
The next auction is scheduled to take place in two weeks, with details to be announced one day prior.
The 10th BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue, hosted by Brazil, concluded on March 25, 2025, in Brasilia. The two-day event laid the foundation for the upcoming BRICS Summit later this year. Ethiopia, alongside other member and invited countries, participated in the discussions focused on global challenges and the bloc’s institutional evolution following its recent expansion.
The dialogue was led by senior policymakers from BRICS nations, including India’s Raghuram S., Joint Secretary of Policy Planning & Research, Ministry of External Affairs. Key discussions revolved around priorities such as global health cooperation, international trade and financial dynamics, climate action, artificial intelligence governance, and the need for reforms to multilateral peace and security frameworks.
This dialogue marked an important moment for BRICS as the bloc continues to evolve and grow in influence. The expansion of BRICS, which welcomed Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in 2024, is a step toward increasing the group’s global reach, especially in shaping economic policies and addressing pressing global issues.
Ethiopia’s participation underscores the country’s growing role within BRICS and highlights its interest in contributing to the bloc’s discussions on trade, technology, and sustainable development. The expansion of BRICS continues to explore strategies to increase trade and investment among its members, with Ethiopia benefiting from the opportunities it brings for economic collaboration and regional leadership.
The dialogue’s outcomes will set the stage for the 16th BRICS Summit, scheduled to take place later this year under Russia’s chairmanship in Kazan, which will further shape the direction of the bloc’s global influence.
Mintesinot Nigussie Asfaw