Singaporean Premier applauds Ethiopia’s Green Legacy success and promising bilateral ties with Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, November 24, 2025 (FMC) — Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong praised Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative and the promising growth of Ethiopia–Singapore ties during his official visit to Addis Ababa, underscoring the deepening friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hosted an official welcoming ceremony for Premier Wong at the National Palace, following which the two leaders held a tête-à-tête, witnessed the signing of key Memoranda of Understanding, and discussed further avenues for bilateral cooperation.

During the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Abiy warmly welcomed Premier Wong to Addis Ababa, noting that the visit builds on constructive discussions held during his recent trip to Singapore. “I always remember that candid discussion,” he said, emphasizing that the visit reflects confidence in further strengthening the friendship and partnership between Ethiopia and Singapore.

Highlighting Singapore’s “remarkable transformation rooted in good governance, long-term planning, and sustainable growth,” Prime Minister Abiy noted that Ethiopia draws valuable lessons from Singapore as it pursues similar development aspirations. He described the bilateral talks as “very fruitful” and expressed confidence that the discussions would cover multiple areas of cooperation.

Premier Wong, in his first bilateral visit to Africa as Singapore’s Prime Minister, thanked Prime Minister Abiy for the warm reception and generous hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

Recalling that the last Singaporean Prime Minister to visit Ethiopia was Lee Kuan Yew in 1964, Premier Wong said he was “making up for a long period of absence” with his visit to renew the countries’ long-standing friendship.

Noting Addis Ababa’s verdant landscape, Premier Wong said he was “struck by how green the city is, how beautiful the city is,” calling it “a testament to the success of the Green Legacy” initiated by Prime Minister Abiy.

He added that the tree seedlings planted during the official ceremony would serve as a symbol of Ethiopia–Singapore friendship and hoped that, like the trees, the relationship between the two countries would continue to grow.

Both leaders also discussed the expanding economic and trade ties between Ethiopia and Singapore, with Premier Wong expressing optimism that his visit would add momentum to bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Abiy highlighted opportunities for further collaboration across trade, investment, smart transport and logistics, digital infrastructure, fintech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

The two Memoranda of Understanding witnessed during the ceremony include one on skills development and another on carbon credits collaboration.