Ethiopia, Israel to cooperate on energy, health and education

Ethiopia and Israel signed several cooperation agreements in the fields of health, education, energy and agriculture yesterday.

The signing came during the Ethiopian-Israeli Business Forum held in Addis Ababa which coincided with the conclusion of a visit by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and an accompanying delegation to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian News Agency reported.

According to the agency, the agricultural agreements focused on using irrigation technology in agriculture and the preservation of water in dry seasons, without giving details of the deals surrounding health, education and energy or the total number of agreements signed.

A statement by the Ethiopian government quoted the Israeli president as saying at the forum that “the partnership between the two countries will improve the existing cooperation between them in the areas of food security, public health, infrastructure and energy”.

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Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Hirut Zemene, described the agreements as “a push to strengthen relations between the two countries”.

The Israeli president arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday for his first official visit to the African country.

Over the past few years, Israel has intensified its contacts with African states while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on several occasions that he aims to break the continent’s support for Palestine in international institutions.