Ethiopian Minister of Water & Energy, Habtamu Itefa (PhD), called on the development partners to play their share in the development of the energy sector to the region.
In his Address to the 14th International Renewable Energy Summit which kicked off today in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, the Minister underscored that Ethiopia is taking the lead in developing energy linkages with neighboring countries.
Itefa emphasized that the issues of laying the groundwork and strengthening regional power relations demonstrate Ethiopia's commitment to regional cooperation and coordination in order to ensure prosperity.
Ethiopia, in collaboration with development partners, is playing a significant role in building and sustaining East Africa's power pool, claiming that infrastructure like as power lines, highways, and communication networks are being expanded to neighboring countries, Habtamu noted.
He added that a regional coordination strategy should be included in short, medium, and long-term national plans, as well as considered for development at the continental level.
"Ethiopia’s hydro-power potential and development experience include the ability to establish an institution with extensive hydro-power development expertise. It has helped us to become East Africa's green energy centre; additionally, it exemplifies our ministry's resolve to incorporate the private sector in energy development by executing a government-private sector cooperation. Power connections have been established for three neighboring countries as part of Ethiopia's continental power system master plan, and attempts are underway to expand this to a continental link by incorporating more nations."
Minister Habtamu also emphasized the importance of development partners' commitment, as the construction and development of energy infrastructure requires significant investment, and that investing in energy development in Ethiopia plays an irreplaceable role in creating various job opportunities in the region while also contributing to peace and security.//