Ethiopia and France have taken a decisive step in their financial cooperation. On February 11, 2026, the two countries signed to Addis Ababa a bilateral debt restructuring agreement, the first of gender concluded between Ethiopia and a member of the Official Creditors Committee (OCC) within the common framework of the G20.

This agreement follows the memorandum of understanding signed in July 2025 between Ethiopia and the OCC, which had formalized a treatment of debt approved in principle in March 2025. This device provides for relief greater than 3.5 billion dollars, in a context of vulnerability prolonged Ethiopian public finances.

In 2021, Addis Ababa requested a restructuring extent of its external debt within the common framework of the G20. The situation had worsened with the default of payment, in December 2023, on its only eurobond. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) considers the debt of countries as unsustainable, in particular due to persistent overruns of export thresholds.

In parallel with the restructuring agreement, Paris announced a new financing plan of 81.5 million euros (approximately 96.6 million) of dollars). This envelope includes 80 million euros in budgetary aid. for the HGER 2.0 program, the second phase of economic reform national, as well as a technical assistance grant of 1.5 million of euros.

According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance, this support is in addition to the 100 million euros already mobilized by France during the first phase of the program. The two countries also agreed to examine a possible French participation in the construction of the future airport Ethiopian international, a strategic project to strengthen connectivity, trade and the economic attractiveness of the country