Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

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Ethiopia

 

In spite of substantial economic growth in recent years, Ethiopia ranks 173rd out of 186 countries according to the Human Development Index.

The country has a high illiteracy rate, lacks basic infrastructure, and a majority of the population does not have access to potable water. The country´s economy is based on agriculture, a weak sector given its limited resources and the nature of recurring droughts. Famine only worsens the situation. During the time of Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia was one of our biggest business partners in Africa (eg. leather industry, stamping shop, shoe industry, breweries, mills, tires, hydro power plants and textile factories). Within development cooperation, the Czech Republic has had significant presence in Ethiopia since 2001, providing assistance particularly in education and water management and, to a lesser degree, in agriculture and social development. In geographical terms, the Czech Republic’s development aid has focused on the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS), and its capital Awassa and its vicinity. Some activities have also been carried out in the national capital Addis Ababa, with a few isolated projects in Gondar in the Amhara National Regional State.   

In accordance with the Development Cooperation Strategy of the Czech Republic 2010 – 2017 Ethiopia belongs to the highest category of the partner countries, among priority countries with a development programme framework (programme document is attached below). The main focus of the Czech Republic´s development cooperation is in the following sectors:

  • agriculture;
  • water supply and sanitation;
  • education;

and to a lesser extent also in these sectors:

  • disaster prevention and preparedness;
  • health.

Czech Development Cooperation in Ethiopia consists of:

attachments

Programme of Development Cooperation 2011-17 ETH-CZ 386 kB pdf (Adobe Acrobat document) Jan 3, 2013

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