Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described Ethiopia as a pivotal partner in Africa following high-level discussions with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa. In remarks shared after the meeting on Wednesday, Herzog characterised the talks as productive and reaffirmed the depth of longstanding diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Herzog underscored that relations between Israel and Ethiopia are anchored in decades of cooperation and carry significant prospects for expansion. He reiterated Israel’s intention to broaden its diplomatic and economic footprint across Africa, identifying Ethiopia as central to that strategy.
According to the president, the bilateral partnership holds substantial untapped potential.
The leaders explored avenues for enhanced collaboration across innovation, science and technology, agriculture, food security, water management and energy. They also deliberated on advancing wider regional cooperation aimed at delivering mutual benefits. Herzog expressed hope that future engagement would be guided by principles of regional peace, solidarity and goodwill.
During the visit, the Israeli president paid tribute at the Adwa Victory Memorial, honouring Ethiopia’s historic resilience.
The trip comes amid a surge in high-level diplomatic activity in Addis Ababa, which has recently hosted leaders including Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Giorgia Meloni. The succession of visits reinforces the Ethiopian capital’s growing stature as a continental diplomatic hub and the seat of the African Union.