Austria Keen to Enhance Bilateral, Multilateral Cooperation with Ethiopia: Ambassador Knapp

Addis Ababa July 31/2024 (ENA)  Austria is keen to enhance both bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Ethiopia across various fields of common interest, according to Simone Knapp, Austrian Ambassador to Ethiopia.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Simone Knapp said Austria and Ethiopia enjoy excellent diplomatic relations, paving the way for further collaboration and mutual benefit.

She added that in early December 2023, we had the pleasure of hosting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Vienna. 

The visit was highly successful, engaging discussion with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and covered a wide range of bilateral issues and exploring numerous cooperation opportunities.

Additionally, our Foreign Minister visited Ethiopia two years ago. Overall, the two countries enjoy very strong and productive relations, Simone Knapp explained.

“The key areas of cooperation between Austria and Ethiopia are in the fields of diplomatic relations or political discussions. We also have economic cooperation which is small, but we still want to expand. We do have joint cooperation plan in the area of economy, economic cooperation. Just in a couple of months in October this year; we are planning to bring Austrian companies, businesses to Ethiopia.”

Also, we are collaborating with the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) to facilitate B2B meetings with Austrian experts in the field of investment in Ethiopia, she said.

As an embassy, we can focus on two key actions: bringing Austrian companies to Ethiopia and highlighting opportunities for collaboration, Simone Knapp added.

The ambassador added this involves working with EIC and other authorities to showcase Ethiopia's potential and identify connections between our two countries.

We can also collaborate on highlighting the framework in which Ethiopia offers for businesses, including its business environment and opportunities for investment, she said.

There are diverse opportunities in Ethiopia, including energy solutions, waste management, health, and production, particularly in the expanding city of Addis Ababa.

“I really think that Austria and Ethiopia have a lot in common when it comes to multilateral interest and cooperation in the multilateral field. Austria, Vienna is a UN city and capital.  We have a lot of UN organizations based in Vienna, and Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is a host country not only to the African Union, but also to the United Nations and UNECA which shows already that both countries have a big interest in the multilateral system.”

Together with our permanent representations in New York and Geneva, we are fostering strong cooperation across various fields, including peace and security, human rights, transparency, and crime prevention.

According to the ambassador, the prospects for future cooperation are very promising, and there are opportunities to expand our collaboration across various areas. 

In addition to economic cooperation, we are also working together in the field of university partnerships.

Austria and Ethiopia have several university cooperation programs in place, involving various institutions across both countries, which is excellent, the ambassador elaborated.

This year, the Austrian Embassy celebrated its 60th anniversary here in Addis Ababa.