Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia and Ethiopia are preparing to pursue large-scale cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including energy, agriculture, industry, peaceful space exploration, science, healthcare and education, as the two countries move to build on rapidly expanding bilateral ties.
Speaking during talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the Third Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow on October 28, Putin described relations between the two nations as friendly, substantive and constructive, and said the scope of their partnership was expanding well beyond traditional areas of cooperation.
“We have many promising large-scale projects across a wide range of areas, from energy, agriculture and industrial cooperation to the peaceful exploration of outer space, science, healthcare and education,” Putin said, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Russian President underscored Moscow’s commitment to deepening economic and trade cooperation with Ethiopia, highlighting the sharp growth in bilateral trade. He noted that trade between the two countries exceeded 1.3 billion USD in the first nine months of 2026 alone — more than double the figure recorded for the whole of 2025.
“I would like to highlight the substantial growth in bilateral trade, which exceeded 1.3 billion USD in January–September this year. This is more than double the figure for the whole of 2025,” he said.
Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to deepening its longstanding relations with Ethiopia and described his personal contacts with Prime Minister Abiy as friendly and constructive. He recalled their recent meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September, where the two leaders reviewed key areas of bilateral cooperation.
Beyond bilateral economic ties, the Russian President emphasized the two countries’ coordination on international affairs through the United Nations, BRICS and other multilateral forums. He said Russia fully supports Africa’s emergence as one of the key centres of the emerging multipolar world order, and added that Moscow would pay particular attention to expanding trade and economic cooperation with African countries, ensuring food and energy security, and developing healthcare.
Putin further wished Ethiopia success in hosting the 2027 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Addis Ababa, expressing confidence in the country’s ability to stage the global event.
He noted that the Third Russia–Africa Summit would conclude with the adoption of a declaration and a new Action Plan of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum covering 2027–2029. The meeting, he said, provided an opportunity to continue discussions on strengthening the multifaceted relations between Ethiopia and Russia, alongside current regional and international issues.
The talks in Moscow signal a further strengthening of Ethiopia–Russia ties, with both leaders expressing readiness to translate the momentum in trade into concrete projects in energy, agriculture, industry, space, science, health and education. The discussions also come as Russia seeks to deepen its engagement with African nations within the framework of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, whose new three-year action plan is expected to guide cooperation through 2029.
