Addis Ababa, November 10, 2026 (FMC) – Ethiopia has pressed for a stronger, more balanced and results-oriented partnership between the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), placing debt challenges, development financing and investment aligned with national priorities at the center of the cooperation agenda.
State Minister of Finance Tiguist Fisseha delivered the message in a video address to the opening session of the Second OACPS–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly at the European Parliament in Brussels, speaking in Ethiopia’s capacity as the current President of the OACPS Council of Ministers.
She described the Samoa Agreement as an important framework for strengthening cooperation between the two blocs on the basis of mutual respect, shared ownership and genuine partnership.
The State Minister emphasized the role of parliamentarians in translating shared OACPS–EU priorities into practical outcomes, particularly by turning the results of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development into concrete action to address debt challenges and mobilize financing for the Sustainable Development Goals.
She also drew attention to the opportunities offered by the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, stressing that investments under the initiative should respond to the priorities of OACPS member states and contribute to their sustainable economic transformation.
In her address, Tiguist announced that Ethiopia will host the 122nd Session of the OACPS Council of Ministers in Addis Ababa on January 18–19, 2027, and called for high-level participation.
The Second OACPS–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly is being held from November 9 to 13, 2026, bringing together representatives of the two blocs to deliberate on issues of mutual interest and advance their common agenda.