![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/635141699_1379591900880846_6236794834975586431_n-1-1024x628.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMaru further highlighted that the gatherings showcased Ethiopia\u2019s modern infrastructure and attractive tourist destinations, elevating the country\u2019s tourism sector and motivating stakeholders within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the analyst, Ethiopia has demonstrated effective diplomacy by leveraging its rich cultural values and national identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addis Ababa, reaffirming its status as Africa\u2019s diplomatic capital, has played a pivotal role in dispelling long-standing misconceptions about the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasized that the successful organization of the summits has strengthened investor confidence by signaling stability and peace, thereby encouraging future foreign investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maru also described the atmosphere of the high-level gatherings as an example of \u201csoft diplomacy,\u201d noting that African and Italian leaders engaged warmly beyond formal diplomatic protocols. This, he said, further deepened friendship and strategic cooperation among participating nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The analyst stressed that Ethiopia\u2019s efforts to host the summits have solidified Addis Ababa\u2019s position as a leading diplomatic hub on the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regarding Ethiopia\u2019s aspiration for access to the sea, Maru explained that the country received a positive response from leaders after clearly articulating its interests concerning the Red Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The summits also created an opportunity for Ethiopia to clarify its position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to African and international leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maru added that the commemoration of the Victory of Adwa was presented not only as a source of Ethiopian pride but as a shared symbol of African dignity and resistance, enhancing the country\u2019s historical and diplomatic stature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the sidelines of the summits, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and senior government officials held a series of bilateral discussions with leaders from South Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, South Africa, Burundi, Namibia, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Ghana, Botswana, Kenya, and other countries, strengthening strategic cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also held extensive talks with the President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the President of the African Development Bank, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, Maru concluded that the summits hosted in Addis Ababa have reaffirmed Ethiopia\u2019s vital role in continental and global affairs while delivering tangible diplomatic and economic gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He further emphasized that the coordinated efforts of the government and the public have firmly dispelled misconceptions about Addis Ababa\u2019s suitability as host of the African Union, making the city an increasingly preferred venue for major international conferences in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Leta Teresa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AMN PLUS \u2013 February 18\/2026 Legal scholar and international political analyst Maru Abdi noted that the successful hosting of the 39th African Union Summit and the 2nd Italy\u2013Africa Summit has further cemented Addis Ababa\u2019s reputation as the diplomatic capital of Africa. Speaking to AMN, Maru stated that the two high-profile summits not only enhanced Ethiopia\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,8,10,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-addis-ababa-affairs","category-diplomacy","category-economy","category-ethiopia","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1548,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions\/1548"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/633688369_1215566684093750_2864948148700633197_n-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amn.gov.et\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/02\/636792472_1521136176035824_792530046380642371_n-1024x683.jpg\")
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