U.S. Considers Major Investment in Ethiopia's Bishoftu Airport

Addis Ababa — The United States is considering a significant investment connected to Ethiopia's planned Bishoftu International Airport as Washington seeks to deepen commercial aviation ties with the East African country. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia discussed the project during a meeting with Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Mesfin Tasew, according to a statement from the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs. The meeting focused on strengthening aviation cooperation and supporting Ethiopian Airlines' longstanding commercial relationship with U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing. "The Assistant Secretary is committed to ensuring American investment and technology is the foundation of the Bishoftu International Airport," the bureau said. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation aims to deploy what the statement described as a "sizable investment" to promote lending to small and medium-sized enterprises associated with the airport and its surrounding area. No proposed investment figure or timetable was disclosed. Washington said the initiative could stimulate economic development, create jobs in Ethiopia and the United States, and support direct nonstop flights between the two countries. Ethiopian Airlines is developing Bishoftu International Airport as a major new aviation hub outside Addis Ababa. The project is intended to expand the airline's passenger and cargo capacity as it strengthens its position as one of Africa's leading carriers. Garcia's meeting with Mesfin formed part of a broader U.S. effort to expand trade, investment and commercial relations with Ethiopia. During his visit, the American official also held talks with Ethiopian government representatives on bilateral relations and regional security. (Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horndiplomat Desk) Read the original article on Horn Diplomat . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.