Moscow, October 21, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timpothewos met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today in Moscow, in a high-level dialogue aimed at deepening strategic ties and enhancing cooperation across diplomacy, multilateral engagement, and practical sectors of collaboration.
The two ministers focused on coordinating foreign policy initiatives, including joint action at the United Nations, cooperation within the African Union, and collaboration under the BRICS framework, of which Ethiopia became a full member last year.
On the occasion, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of coordination at the United Nations, collaboration within the African Union, and discussions under BRICS, of which Ethiopia became a full member last year.
He also highlighted the productive outcomes of Gedion’s meetings with the Presidential Administration, the Russian government, and Rosatom, which, he said, would lay the foundation for further development of bilateral relations.
In response, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion expressed appreciation for Russia’s hospitality and long-standing friendship, recalling prior fruitful engagements on the sidelines of BRICS meetings in Russia and Brazil.
He emphasized the high-level dialogue between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Vladimir Putin during World Atomic Week in Moscow last month, noting that the discussions reached then continue to guide the trajectory of Ethiopia-Russia relations.
A key element of the ongoing partnership is the nuclear energy initiative, which saw the signing of an action plan for Ethiopia’s first nuclear power plant with Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom during World Atomic Week.
As part of this effort, Ethiopia has now established the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission, tasked with overseeing and coordinating the country’s peaceful nuclear energy development, and has appointed a Chief Commissioner to lead the initiative.
Gedion described the nuclear project as a “historic milestone” that opens a new chapter in the bilateral relationship.
The talks also explored the expansion of multifaceted cooperation, including trade, investment, technology, and scientific collaboration.
Speaking on the visit of the Ethiopian FM to his country, Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin emphasized that Gedion’s visit continues the strategic dialogue from September 25 and is expected to further synchronize efforts on bilateral issues, implement prior agreements, and define new directions for mutually beneficial partnerships.
Economic ties between Ethiopia and Russia have grown steadily. Trade turnover more than doubled in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching $191.2 million. Both countries are seeking to expand joint projects in sectors such as automotive engineering, chemicals, transport, ICT, agriculture, and energy, Ambassador Terekhin told Russian news agency TASS on October 20.
The 9th session of the Ethiopian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical Cooperation and Trade is scheduled before the end of the year to scale up investment and practical cooperation.
During his visit, Minister Gedion also held discussions with Russia’s Minister of Economic Development, Maksim Reshetnikov, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Commission, and engaged with the leadership of Rosatom to explore further avenues of nuclear and technological cooperation. Lavrov and Gedion both highlighted that these high-level consultations will strengthen political, economic, and technological ties, providing momentum for Ethiopia-Russia relations and alignment on international platforms.