France is placing a bold bet on Ethiopia’s economic future, signing a historic bilateral debt restructuring and pledging 81.5 million euros in fresh support, signaling deepening ties amid Addis Ababa’s urgent push for macroeconomic reform. The move, the first of its kind under the G20 Common Framework with an Official Creditor Committee member, positions France as a key influencer in one of Africa’s most strategically important economies.
The agreements were finalized in Addis Ababa by Ethiopia’s Finance Minister, Ahmed Shide, and France’s Minister Delegate for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mme Eléonore Caroit. France, acting as OCC Co-Chair, was instrumental in crafting the July 2025 Memorandum of Understanding that paved the…