Addis Ababa: Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of Ethiopia held discussion with Jin Liqun, the new co-chair and president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Rémy Rioux, Director-General of French Development Agency (AFD). In the ongoing IMF and World Bank annual meeting, Minister Ahmed commended AIIB's robust capitalization and governance, led by President Liqun, and advocated for more favorable financing conditions for debt-burdened nations, highlighting Ethiopia's need for infrastructure funding. On the other hand, President Liqun affirmed AIIB's support for Ethiopia, including through financing an energy project jointly with the European Investment Bank and the European Union. The two parties also discussed ways to finance the new airport development announced recently by Ethiopian Airlines and agreed to explore further options. Following Minister Ahmed's invitation, the AIIB President will visit Ethiopia at the end of November 2024 to further strengthen partnership and cooperation. Additionally, Ahmed met with Director-General Rioux to discuss Ethiopia's compressive reforms and acknowledge AFD's support. Director-General Rioux reiterated AFD's commitment to Ethiopia, including budget support for the upcoming year. The minister also expressed gratitude to the Government of France, for its support in various sectors through bilateral cooperation and substantial support to IDA and IMF, highlighting the value these contributions bring to Ethiopia's development efforts. Source: Ethiopian News Agency