Ethiopia – Visit by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (9-10 February 2019)

He will meet with Markos Tekle, the Ethiopian state minister for foreign affairs, to make preparations for President Macron’s visit to Ethiopia next month and to discuss – three months ahead of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit to France – the strengthening of our ties, especially in the economic and commercial arenas, and on cultural matters. Cooperation on defense and the momentum of Ethiopia’s regional rapprochement effort will also be discussed.

During his visit, the minister will attend a high-level meeting on investing in health on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the African Union (Feb. 10-11). Mr. Lemoyne will stress that France has long prioritized global health in its development policy, specifically through its unwavering support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (we are its second-biggest contributor), our support for the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), and our commitment to UNITAID (we are its largest contributor). He will emphasize that global health and especially the improvement of primary health care will be an important focus of France’s G7 presidency.

Mr. Lemoyne will also represent France at the Board of Directors meeting of the African Renewable Energy Initiative. Launched by the heads of African nations at the COP21, it aims to establish new renewable energy capacities on the continent while providing universal access to sustainable energy. France strongly backed efforts to establish this Initiative and is its leading financial supporter.