At a ceremony conducted at the Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Italy signed an implementing agreement with a grant of 1.5 million euros for the implementation of the “Food Safety Project.”
The essence of the grant is to improve Ethiopia’s food safety situation by providing technical assistance in addressing food safety issues such as food adulteration and inadequate food hygiene standards in key agro-food processors, food marketers, and catering services.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the project’s major activities will include, but are not limited to, establishing a national surveillance system on food adulteration and food hygiene practices in Ethiopia, strengthening human and laboratory capacity on food safety, and empowering agro-processors, food marketers, and catering service providers.
The project will be implemented in 25 major cities across Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa and regional capital cities, where many agro-food processing and catering services are located, where most food products, raw or processed, are destined, and where people obtain their food solely through purchase.
Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of the Ministry of Finance, and Agostino PALESE, Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia signed the financing agreement on behalf of their countries.
Recall that last week News Central reported that signed Italy a gas deal with Congo-Brazzaville to increase gas supplies by more than 4.5 billion cubic metres a year.
The deal is the latest move by Italy to reduce reliance on Russian gas. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio announced the deal alongside Congolese foreign minister Jean Claude Gakosso in Brazzaville saying that the Russian attack on Ukraine has obliged Italy to diversify its sources of energy.
The European country also signed gas deals last week with two other African nations; Algeria and Angola amid tensions in Russia and Ukraine.
The agreement with Angola intends to enhance gas exports and lessen the European country’s reliance on Russian gas supplies.
It was signed in Luanda, Angola’s capital, by Angolan Mineral Resources Minister Diamantino Azevedo and Italian Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani.