UNDP Associate Administrator, Gina Casar, will visit Ethiopia from February 21- 25, 2015. This is Ms. Casar’s first visit to Ethiopia since she was appointed UN Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP in June 2014, the UNDP Ethiopia office said in a statement.
According to the statement, Ms. Casar is expected to meet with a number of senior government officials during her visit. “She will also join State Minister Ahmed Shide of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and officials from the Development Bank of Ethiopia to inaugurate Ethiopia’s Innovative Investment Facility.”
The Facility will support small and medium enterprises in Ethiopia to access credit and other financial services that are critical for business growth and diversification, the statement further said, adding it is closely linked and builds on the vision of the Entrepreneurship Development Program, supported by UNDP and launched by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in February 2013.
Ms. Casar’s five day stay in Ethiopia will also include a visit to other UNDP-supported development interventions and meetings with selected partners. “She will also take part in the strategic planning retreat of UNDP’s Regional Service Centre for Africa which supports UNDP country offices and regional partners from Addis Abeba.”