Ethiopia–Spain relations

Ethiopia-Spain relations

Ethiopia	Spain

Ethiopia–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Ethiopia has no embassy in Spain, but the Ethiopian embassy in Paris is accredited to Spain. Ethiopia has an honorary consulate in Madrid. Spain has a embassy in Addis Ababa.

Diplomatic relations

Over the past few years, diplomatic relations with Ethiopia have been continuously improving. In March 2004, the Vice Minister AAEE visited Madrid and signed the MOU for cooperation between the two Ministries. Ethiopia was considered a priority Country in the Africa Plan adopted by the Council of Ministers in May 2006. Since then, political relations between the two countries have been consolidated with a regular exchange of high-level visits.

The celebration of the African Union Summit at the end of January of each year in Addis Ababa provides the framework for high-level Spanish visits to always have an important bilateral agenda. This year 2015 we could count on the visit of S.M. King Felipe VI, in a sample of the importance that Africa, in general, and Ethiopia, in particular, has for Spain. YE. The King, much loved by the Ethiopian authorities, wanted to thank with his visit the support given by the support of a large number of African countries to the Spanish candidacy for the United Nations Security Council for the biennium 2015-16.

Economic relations

Bilateral economic relations do not yet reflect the potential of both countries, although the most recent data show good prospects - in the last year they have multiplied 150%. An important milestone in 2014 was the entry into operation of the direct flight Madrid-Addis Ababa, operated by the Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian flag company.

Ethiopia is one of the African countries with the highest annual growth in recent years. The double-digit economic growth figures achieved in recent years have caused a growing commercial interest in Spain, as evidenced by the increasingly frequent visits of Spanish businessmen to the country. The organization of commercial visits in both directions is also increasing, so that our entrepreneurs know each other better.

Cooperation

Ethiopia, the second most populous country on the African continent (94.1 million inhabitants, in 2013), is listed by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as Least Developed Country (WFP), and is ranked 173 in the Index of Human Development 2014 (from a total of 187 countries, according to 2013 data). The country has a GDP of 1,342 USD PPP per inhabitant (2011) and its population has a life expectancy of 63.6 years. Ethiopia receives a large volume of ODA, although the trend is decreasing: while in 2010 it represented 11.9% of its GNP (3,525 M $), in 2012 it accounted for approximately 7.6% (3,261 M $) 4.

The main strategic framework developed by the Ethiopian Government to face the country's challenges is the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-Growth and Transformation Plan), approved in 2010, whose main objective is to make it possible to get out of poverty to the Ethiopian population, in an equitable and sustained manner, and achieve or exceed the MDGs

Ethiopia was included in the Master Plan of the Spanish Cooperation 2009-2012 as a priority as a Country of Wide Partnership (category A), and as such is maintained in the IV Master Plan (2013-2016).

The Basic Cooperation Agreement between Spain and Ethiopia was signed in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2007, on the occasion of the SECI's view of the country. Within this framework, on January 30, 2008, the I Spain-Ethiopia Joint Commission was signed.