Over the last 50 years, Germany has disbursed 1.3 billion euros in official development aid for Ethiopia, the information obtained from German Embassy in Addis Ababa noted.
The information from the German Embassy in Addis Ababa shows that during the last 3 years, Germany has committed nearly 100 million euros for the support of the ambitious development plans.
Cooperation in the three priority areas engineering capacity building, urban governance and decentralization, and sustainable land management is closely aligned with the Ethiopian government’s policy priorities and coordinated with other development partners, including civil society.
Strengthening the relation, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Dirk Niebel is to visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week.
During his stay, the minister is expected to discuss with Ethiopian and African Union officials on Germany’s government economic and development supports to Ethiopia and Africa.
The minister is expected to visit some of the projects of the multi million dollar largely Germany government-funded Engineering Capacity Building Program (ECBP).
The ten year program is now halfway through its planned timeframe. So far, ECBP has entailed expenditures of over 80 million euros in matching contributions from the German and Ethiopian governments.
ECBP, which is the result of close cooperation between the Ethiopian and German governments, was launched in November 2005. The program focuses on developing the private sector and the institutions that support it.
Creating new employment, improve the skills of the country’s workforce, modernize the private sector and make Ethiopian products more competitive in international markets are among the aims of ECBP.
The statement from the AUC noted that issues of common interest concerning different aspects of the cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the African Union Commission.
Mr. Dirk Niebel will meet with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mr. Jean Ping, on Tuesday 11 January 2011, according to the statement.
After the meeting with Mr. Jean Ping, the minister is also expected to address the media.
Last Friday, the Minister was also in Rwanda visiting various projects assisted by Germany, assisted such as Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) and the Center for Treatment and Research on AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and other Epidemics.
