Ethiopia, Russia Move to Strengthen Agricultural Cooperation and Coffee Trade

Addis Ababa, March 18, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia and Russia are stepping up efforts to deepen cooperation in agriculture, with a focus on boosting trade in coffee and improving access to key agricultural inputs. Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture, Addisu Arega, held talks with a Russian delegation led by Maxim Markovich, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. Following the meeting, the minister described the discussions as “productive and forward-looking,” emphasizing the shared commitment to strengthening strategic ties in the agricultural sector.   According to the minister, the talks focused on priority areas such as agricultural input supply, trade in coffee, oil crops, and horticulture, as well as agricultural mechanization, agrochemicals, and the transfer of knowledge and technology. Ethiopia and Russia maintain a longstanding bilateral relationship, which both sides now aim to elevate through expanded collaboration in agriculture.   “Building on this foundation, we have reached a shared understanding to further elevate our collaboration in agriculture to a higher level of impact,” Addisu said.