Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Brazil and Ethiopia established diplomatic relations in 1951. The Embassy of Brazil in Addis Ababa was opened in the 1960s, but closed a few years later, and was reopened in 2005. Ethiopia established a resident embassy in Brazil in 2011, the first one of that country in South America. . After being temporarily closed in October 2021, the Ethiopian Embassy in Brasilia was reopened in 2023.
The frequent exchanges of visits by high-level Brazilian and Ethiopian authorities have contributed to promoting increased dialogue and bilateral cooperation in areas such as agriculture, renewable energies, science and technology, education and social development. In April 2018, the 1st Bilateral Political Consultations Meeting was held in Addis Ababa. The second meeting of the mechanism was held virtually in April 2021.
In February 2024, President Lula, accompanied by Minister Mauro Vieira, visited Addis Ababa to participate in the 37th African Union summit. The Brazilian president met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the meeting.
In June 2024, on the sidelines of the BRICS ministerial meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met with the then Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taye Atske Selassie, current President of Ethiopia.
In 2021, Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse visited Brazil, leading a delegation from the social sector, interested in learning about Brazilian public policies in the area. In June 2022, Ethiopia's Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Livestock visited Brasília to learn about the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and other family farming policies, with the aim of applying this knowledge in their country.
As part of the existing partnership between Embrapa and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Brazil and Ethiopia maintain technical cooperation projects in the areas of sustainable forest management and acid soil management. Projects are also underway to improve cotton production and, in partnership with the World Food Program, initiatives to support the development of sustainable school feeding programs.
In 2024, trade between Brazil and Ethiopia totaled approximately $31.3 million, 31.6% more than in 2023. Brazilian exports totaled $30.6 million. The main products exported by Brazil were fuel oils from petroleum or bituminous minerals (79%), sugar and molasses (6.3%) and tractors (5.1%). Brazil imported mainly clothing (96%), totaling $698 thousand. The trade surplus for Brazil was nearly $ 29.9 million.
Chronology of bilateral relations
2024 – Bilateral meeting between Minister Mauro Vieira and his Ethiopian counterpart, Take Atske Selassie, on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in Russia (June).
2024 – President Lula, accompanied by Minister Mauro Vieira, visits Ethiopia to participate in the 37th African Union Summit (February).
2022 – Ethiopia’s Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Livestock visited Brazil in Brasília to learn about the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and other family farming policies.
2021 – The 2nd Meeting of the Bilateral Political Consultation Mechanism was held via videoconference.
2019 – Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse, visited Brazil, leading an Ethiopian delegation from the social sector, interested in learning about Brazilian public policies in the area.
2018 – The 1st Meeting of the Bilateral Political Consultations Mechanism is held in Addis Ababa. Brazil and Ethiopia sign a cooperation and investment facilitation agreement (April)
2018 – The Minister of Water Resources, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia, Wro Frenesh Mekuria, visits Brazil (March)
2018 – Ethiopia sends a technical mission to Brazil to learn about the Brazilian experience in bioenergy production (March)
2017 – The Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Ethiopia, Eyasu Abraha Alle, visits Brazil as the head of a mission to learn about the good practices in agriculture, in particular coffee production (December)
2017 – The bilateral technical cooperation project "Technical support for the management of acid soils for agricultural use" is launched
2016 – Minister Mauro Vieira visits Addis Ababa and is hosted by Prime Minister Hailemarian Desalegn. Signing of the memorandum of understanding on trade and investment promotion. The Brazil-Ethiopia business seminar is held (March 8)
2016 – Launching of the "Strengthening water supply and sewerage services in Ethiopia" cooperation project, developed in partnership between Brazil, Ethiopia and UNICEF
2015 – The Ethiopian Ambassador in Brasília and Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira sign an agreement to avoid double taxation on profits from international air and maritime transport (June)
2014 – Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Hassen visits Brasília as head of a science and technology study mission (April)
2013 – The bilateral technical cooperation project "Strengthening Ethiopia’s Technical Capacity in Sustainable Forest Use and Management " is launched
2013 – The Minister of Urban Development of Ethiopia, Mekuria Haile, visits Brazil (December)
2013 – Ethiopian Airlines launches air link between Addis Ababa and São Paulo (July)
2013 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Addis Ababa to take part, as a special guest, in the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the African Union. On the occasion, the President met with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn. Signing of agreements on air services; educational cooperation; and science, technology and innovation cooperation (May 24) [Signed Agreements]
2012 – The Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, Sufian Ahmed, visits Brazil (December)
2012 – The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, visits Brazil to lead the Ethiopian delegation to the Rio+20 Conference (June)
2012 – On a visit to Addis Ababa, Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota is hosted by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Bilateral agreements are signed including a bilateral technical cooperation agreement and a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a political consultations mechanism between Brazil and Ethiopia (April 23 and 24) [Signed Acts]
2012 – The Minister of Urban Development and Construction of Ethiopia, Hailemeskel Hailemarkos, visits Brasília (April)
2011 – Opening of the Ethiopian Embassy in Brazil
2005 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim pays a working visit to Addis Ababa, accompanied by representatives from the Ministry of Health, EMBRAPA and the business sector
2005 – Reopening of the Embassy of Brazil in Addis Ababa
1961 – The Brazilian diplomatic representation to the Empire of Ethiopia is elevated to the status of Embassy, with headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Brazilian embassy in Addis Ababa would be closed at the end of the 1960s.
1960 – Official visit of Emperor Haile Selassie to Brazil
1951 – The Brazilian Legation to the Empire of Ethiopia, based in Cairo, is created