President Taye Stresses Ethiopia’s Readiness for Global Gateway Through Energy and Investment Leadership

Addis Ababa, October 9, 2025 (FMC) – Ethiopian President Taye Atske-Selassie highlighted his country’s readiness for the Global Gateway, citing Ethiopia’s ambitions in renewable energy development, the creation of a progressive investment ecosystem, and recognition of strategic access as a cornerstone of collaboration.

He made the remarks during his speech at the second edition of the Global Gateway Forum, which opened today in Brussels.

President Taye described the initiative as timely and essential for forging strategic collaboration to tackle shared challenges in an increasingly turbulent global environment.

He said the forum marks a milestone in Ethiopia’s 50-year relationship with the European Union, which has gained new impetus since the signing of the 2016 Joint Declaration for Strategic Engagement, shifting from traditional cooperation to a results-oriented, strategic partnership.

“Key areas of the Global Gateway, such as renewable energy, digital and sustainable infrastructure, are directly aligned with our own national development strategy,” President Taye noted, adding that Ethiopia’s reform agenda is already driving tangible transformation across multiple sectors.

The President highlighted Ethiopia’s growing readiness to engage in large-scale global initiatives, pointing to major national achievements, including the full inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) last month.

The dam, he said, is “a landmark project funded by our own people,” generating over 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy and symbolizing Ethiopia’s commitment to clean and inclusive development.

He added that EU-supported projects, such as the Renewable Integrated Sustainable Energy and Digitalization Agreement, complement these national efforts. Under this initiative, Ethiopia and France are rehabilitating and modernizing Ethiopia’s national power grids to halve energy losses and power outages.

President Taye further noted Ethiopia’s investment-friendly environment, strengthened by digital transformation, including a national digital ID system that has facilitated $213 billion in transactions last year.

He also highlighted Ethiopian Airlines’ connectivity to over 130 global destinations, positioning the nation as a continental and international hub.

On regional integration, President Taye stressed the importance of developing strategic economic corridors across Africa. He said the security of the Red Sea corridor is vital not only for Ethiopia but also for regional and global trade, calling for collaborative security arrangements that include key regional stakeholders and global partners such as the European Union.

“The Global Gateway has the potential to be a model for a new era of partnership for sustainable development,” he said.

“This requires a foundational commitment to African agency, recognizing the continent as an active partner in shaping a better future for all.”

The President highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a powerful tool for collective development, moving the Africa–EU relationship beyond aid toward dynamic, rule-based economic partnership.

He also referenced the Addis Ababa Declaration from the Second Africa Climate Summit, which underscores Africa’s leadership in critical minerals and integrated energy markets.

President Taye invited the European Commission and European businesses to join Africa in creating a fair and balanced critical raw materials value chain, and proposed three key areas to translate the shared vision of the Global Gateway into concrete results: establishing a joint Africa–EU technology and innovation platform, launching a value chain integration initiative for joint processing and manufacturing in Africa, and creating a Future-Ready Skills and Talent Initiative linking infrastructure investments with local training and education.

“These efforts will ensure our young workforce can operate, maintain, and innovate from these projects for years to come, transforming them into engines of sustainable local prosperity,” he said, reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing the Global Gateway’s goals through strong, equitable partnership with the EU.