Conferences Augmenting Ethiopia’s Global Acceptance

August 5, 2025

Ethiopia is at the crossroads, ready to strongly boost its position among states in the global community. Supporting its notable role as a diplomatic center, the nation is working diligently to strengthen its ties and leverage its special resources to foster global cooperation and friendship.

This strategic shift is not simply one of projecting power, it is about crafting a more stable, prosperous, and interdependent world, starting with its neighborhood and extending across continents.

Over the years, Addis Ababa has been Africa’s diplomatic center, a testament to Ethiopia’s steadfast endorsement of Pan-Africanism. It hosts the seat of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) headquarters and has been a neutral ground where nations could gather and address complex issues.

This legacy provides a solid foundation upon which Ethiopia can expand its leverage. The recurring international meetings and high level summits organized in Addis Ababa are not mere logistical successes; they are critical opportunities for exchange, alliance building, and connection between the countries.

On regional diplomacy, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) emphasized Ethiopia’s interconnectedness with its neighbors and reiterated the country’s commitment to peaceful cooperation. The PM underscored Ethiopia’s record of peaceful regional engagement, noting that the country has not entered into conflict with any neighbor over the past seven years.

The increases in continental and regional conferences are softly powerful ample to strengthen regional diplomacy tie between nations. Conferences like the African Youth Conference and the Continental Peace Conference and other summits were held at Addis are becoming key tools for strengthening diplomatic relations.

Such encounters, too often overshadowed by bilateral summits, are forging a new kind of soft power. Instead of traditional state-to-state talks, such conferences foster a multi layered approach. They bring together government officials, civil society activists, and young entrepreneurs, creating a web of interconnected links across the continent countries.

A shared dialogue on climate change at a regional conference may end up in a green project between two neighboring countries. Not only climate change but also educations, culture, infrastructure, and other issues that spark the interest to reinforce a cross border partnership.

More importantly, such engagement creates trust and understanding, and it becomes easy for countries to collaborate on more difficult issues in the future.

Through them, nations are able to project their influence, show their leadership on matters of interest, and form strategic partnerships outside of their immediate neighbors. This active engagement is not simply an issue of improving country to country relations, it’s an issue of building a more integrated and stable continent, where diplomacy is not only driven by bureaucracy but by the collective aspirations of its people.

However, Ethiopia’s ambitions extend beyond its continental role. For instance, After four years, global leaders, policymakers, and experts have converged in Addis for the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (

Co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, this event reaches at a critical juncture in the Decade of Action, providing a vital platform to assess progress, address challenges, and accelerate the transformation of global food systems. The goal is to ensure they are more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient for all.

The summits is helping to build a global community dedicated to overcoming the significant hurdles that remain in achieving sustainable food systems for a healthier and more prosperous world. The UNFSS+4 represent a pivotal moment, reaffirming the global commitment to tackling hunger and building a more resilient future.

This forward-looking approach is designed to strengthen global partnerships and give a much needed boost to countries working to improve their food security and development.

Recognizing the interconnectedness of global challenges, Ethiopia had participated many international conferences and high level meeting to discuss various issues with other nations. From Coop meeting to other economic, health, education, and cultural global summits, the country is proactively engaging with nations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

In this regards, at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Abiy contributed to the opening session on peace, security, and global governance. He called for urgent reforms to international financial institutions and decision-making structures to promote fairness, cooperation, and inclusive global development.

Reflecting on Ethiopia’s membership since 2023, he emphasized the bloc’s growing influence and its role in advancing a multipolar world order. These high-level engagements reflect a period of intensified leadership aimed at accelerating national development and enhancing Ethiopia’s role on the world stage.

In addition to the official high level dialogues, a series of ladders in person side events are being held. These sessions are proving to be a cornerstone of the summit, offering a dynamic space for partners to share innovative practices and spotlight solutions grounded in real world experiences. From country level success stories to new technological advancements, these side events are essential for enriching the official proceedings and fostering collaboration.

On the global stage, Prime Minister Abiy held high-level discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the 17th BRICS Summit. The meeting signaled a deepening partnership between Ethiopia and Brazil, with both leaders committing to expand trade and investment across key sectors.

In another diplomatic engagement, the PM met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang to mark the 55th anniversary of Ethio-China relations. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to economic collaboration in sectors such as industry, mining, ICT, clean energy, logistics, and artificial intelligence areas that continue to define the countries’ strong and evolving partnership.

Furthermore, by diversifying its diplomatic outreach, Ethiopia aims to attract foreign investment, secure good trade agreements, and mobilize support for its national development agenda. This activist diplomacy is interested in more than relations between states; it includes cultural exchanges, educational cooperation, and collaboration on scientific research, all of which build lasting bonds of friendship and understanding.

A more prosperous and peaceful Ethiopia is a safer and more credible diplomatic actor. The government’s focus on peace and reconciliation, economic reform, and infrastructure recovery provides a powerful narrative of a nation on the rise.

By demonstrating its own endurance and resolve to push forward, Ethiopia gives confidence to its partners and proves itself as a reliable and valuable partner in a multipolar world. As it continues to solidify its diplomatic thrust, Ethiopia is not only securing its own future but is contributing towards a more peaceful and cooperative world order for all.

BY FIKADU BELAY

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 5 AUGUST 2025