Addis Ababa – Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel to Ethiopia from March 14 to 15. During his trip, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant met with government officials and representatives of the African Union Commission. He reiterated Canada’s commitment to deepening relations and to work in partnership towards shared priorities. He also engaged with civil society organizations, international organizations and community members to exchange ideas and discuss challenges and opportunities to strengthen Canada-Africa relations.
Canada established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in 1965 and maintains an embassy in its capital, Addis Ababa, that is also accredited to Djibouti. The embassy is also responsible for Canada’s relations with the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, which are both headquartered in Addis Ababa, and with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which is headquartered in Djibouti.
Ethiopia is one of the top recipients of Canadian international assistance, receiving $207 million in 2021 to 2022. In 2023, Canada allocated more than $55 million in humanitarian assistance funding to its UN, Red Cross, Red Crescent and other NGO partners to support populations affected by crisis in Ethiopia.
Canada is providing a $10‑million grant to the African Union Commission between 2020 and 2024, with $2 million disbursed annually to the commission’s program budget. In 2023, Canada opened a Permanent Representative Office dedicated to the African Union and appointed Ben Marc Diendéré as Permanent Observer.