Ethiopia- Switzerland Bilateral Diplomatic Relations
Ethiopia and Switzerland established diplomatic relations in the 19th century. The Swiss were involved in various significant projects in Ethiopia, including the design and construction of the country’s first piped water supply, the Ethio-Djibouti railway line, and the electrical installation of the palace. Emperor Menelik II appointed Swiss engineer Alfred Elg as his advisor in 1878.
Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia made an official visit to the United Nations in Geneva in December 1954 and also visited Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Similarly, Haile Selassie I visited Switzerland again in 1965 and toured the Dixence Dam, which had been inaugurated in 1961.
In 1933, the two countries signed a trade and friendship treaty to further solidify their diplomatic ties. Switzerland opened its first consulate in Addis Ababa in 1955, which was later upgraded to an embassy in 1962. Conversely, Ethiopia appointed a non-resident Ambassador to the United Nations European Office in Geneva, in 1965, and later Ethiopia established the Office of the UN Permanent Mission in Geneva in 1970, which has been representing the country, including its relations with Switzerland, since 2001.
Ethiopia is a significant trading partner for Switzerland in East Africa, and Switzerland is also the seventh destination for Ethiopian exports. Ethiopia exports gold and coffee to Switzerland, while Switzerland primarily exports pharmaceutical products and communication equipment to Ethiopia. Around 20 Swiss companies have invested in Ethiopia, while more than 22 Swiss tour organizations offer tours to various parts of the country.
Ethiopia is featured in Switzerland’s 2021-24 Sub-Saharan Africa Development Cooperation Strategy, which prioritizes humanitarian assistance, climate change prevention, and ending conflicts. In the past decade, educational institutions such as Addis Ababa University and the University of Geneva have collaborated with the Swiss Institute of Cultural Health and the University of Jijiga. The collaboration includes areas such as health research, soil conservation, land management, water resource utilization, and revitalization, among other research and study areas.
Of recent, major high-level visits have taken place between the two countries. In April 2024, H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, paid a visit to Switzerland. In March 2024, H.E. Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councilor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland, made an official visit to Ethiopia.
Currently, some 5,000 Ethiopians are living in Switzerland.
Major Bilateral agreements between Ethiopia and Switzerland
- In 1933, the two countries signed a trade and friendship treaty to further solidify their diplomatic ties,
- In 1998, a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement has been signed,
- On 29 July 2021, an agreement on avoidance of double taxation was signed,
- On 06 September 2016, an air service agreement was signed,
- On October 6, 2014, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries agreed to hold yearly political consultations and signed an agreement.
