Ethiopia’s Finance Minister and COP32 Chief Negotiator, Fitsum Assefa, and UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo highlighted key issues, including climate finance, investment, and resilience, in a bilateral meeting at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya.

The meeting reviewed the partnership and exchanged views on how to advance Addis Ababa’s climate and development priorities.

Particular attention was given to the role of climate finance and investment in supporting the implementation of national priorities and strengthening resilience.

For Ethiopia, this discussion comes at a time when the country is preparing to host COP32 in Addis Ababa in November 2027.

Assefa and Chief Executive Officer of the French Development Agency (AFD), Christophe Lecourtier, explored ways to strengthen the partnership between Ethiopia and such an agency, on ongoing cooperation regarding COP32.

This engagement is part of a broader diplomatic effort by Ethiopia during COP31, where its high-level delegation is seeking to forge alliances with international institutions and development partners ahead of assuming the COP32 presidency.

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