European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela will visit Ethiopia on 20 and 21 April 2026 to open the EU–Ethiopia Business Forum in Addis Ababa and meet government, business and international partners.
The forum, running from 20 to 22 April, is expected to draw more than 500 participants, including investors, companies, development finance institutions and government officials from Ethiopia, Europe and elsewhere, the European Commission said on Friday.
It will feature high-level discussions, business matchmaking and panels covering agribusiness, clean energy, digital transformation, health and manufacturing.
Síkela is due to take part in a signature ceremony during the event marking “new steps in the partnership.”
He will also visit EU-backed projects in Addis Ababa, including the Coffee Training Centre of the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, a Government Job Centre in Bole Bulbula supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Africa CDC Emergency Centre and Laboratory.
Síkela said European companies are already active in Ethiopia in areas including energy, digital infrastructure and agri-food, and that he was travelling to Addis Ababa for “serious conversations with serious partners.”
Trade and long-standing ties
Ethiopia’s GDP growth is projected to be above 7% in 2026 and the country has a population of 135 million, the Commission noted.
The EU is Ethiopia’s first destination for exports and its second-largest trading partner overall, while around 300 European companies operate in the country.
The EU and Ethiopia have been partners for 50 years, with Ethiopian exports to the EU — mainly coffee, flowers and legumes — reaching a record €1.5 billion in 2025.
EU investment stock in Ethiopia stands at €3.51 billion across around 300 companies.
