Finland Times

 

File Photo Lehtikuva.

Minister for International Development Sirpa Paatero on Wednesday left for Ethiopia on a four-day visit to learn about the results achieved in the bilateral development cooperation projects. 

 

During the visit, Paatero will meet with implementers and beneficiaries of development cooperation projects, the Ethiopian and Horn of Africa leaderships and other members of the international community in Ethiopia, said a press release issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.   

 

The Finnish minister will also meet with representatives of Ethiopian and Finnish civil society organisations and learn about civil society projects supported by Finland. 

Paatero will return on January 10. 

 

Finnish civil society organisations are supported by about EUR two million a year. The annual contribution to local organisations is about EUR 0.5 million. 

 

Development cooperation between Finland and Ethiopia started in 1967. Ethiopia is one of Finland's long-term partner countries, having development cooperation in the sectors of water, education and rural economic development. 

 

The projected annual disbursements in 2015-17 are EUR 14 million, said the release. 

 

Ethiopia is a country of over 90 million people. Over the past decade, its economic growth has been very strong, about 8 per cent a year. 

 

Ethiopia has also invested heavily in education and health and is about to attain the majority of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.  

 

The cooperation has been the most successful in the water sector with the construction of more than 8600 water points by the local communities for providing access to clean water to nearly three million people.

 

Cooperation in the education sector is also extensive and it has continued for a long time.  

 

Finland supports the General Education Quality Improvement Programme administered by the World Bank.