[Applause]
Dear friends and partners, good morning and welcome. Nations occasionally arrive at moments that require honesty about where they are and the courage about where they must go. Ethiopia is living through such a moment. Let me start with a question. What does it mean for Ethiopia to leap into the future? Not to catch up. Not to follow. To leap. We understand moments like this. We have lived through them before.
Ethiopia is home to over 130 million people. An ancient civilization that preserved its sovereignty through history. A country that has repeatedly risen above low expectations. We are a country that built the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam through the efforts of our people. We are pursuing reforms designed not only to accelerate growth, but to build strong foundations for future generations.
At the center of this work are families seeking stability, young people building their future, and citizens contributing with dignity. For too long, Ethiopia has been defined by its challenges rather than its potential. Yet today a different story is emerging. Across our economy, our institutions, and our communities, we are beginning to see the results of difficult choices and sustained effort.
Dear friends, inflation has fallen sharply from above 30%. Earlier this year it even reached single digits. And our exports are moving toward historic levels. Our economy is projected to grow at 10.2% this fiscal year. By the way, the fastest growth rate in our continent. These outcomes did not happen by chance. They are the result of deliberate choices. Choices that were not easy and not without cost. But numbers alone never tell the full story. Behind every reform are people whose lives are changing.
Imagine a woman running a small business in a market. For years she worked outside the formal financial system. She had no bank account, no credit history, no registered business. The old system had never truly seen her. She enrolled in FIEDA, our national digital ID system. As she began using digital payments, she started building a financial record. That record became trust, and that trust opened the door to finance. She didn't change. What changed was access. Today, millions of Ethiopians are gaining access to opportunities that were once beyond their reach. That is how we should judge progress, by the institution we build and by the lives we improve.
Dear friends, our circumstance did not allow us the luxury of addressing one challenge at a time. We had to stabilize while building, reform while delivering, correct what was not working while preparing for what comes next. This is the spirit of Medemer. This is the real spirit of coming together. Medemer recognizes that progress is the strongest when different efforts reinforce each other. Economic reform and social protection, digital transformation and human capability, national cohesion and local initiative. These are not competing agendas. Together, they strengthen the nation.
Ladies and gentlemen, we're gathered here today because nation building is a shared responsibility. Government cannot do it alone. Markets cannot do it alone. Even communities cannot do it alone. Progress requires all of us to participate. Over the course of the summit, we will explore this transformation from different perspectives. We will discuss the reforms that are strengthening macroeconomic stability, the role of productive cities, the contribution of digital systems, the transformation of agriculture and mining, and the importance of infrastructure that creates lasting public value.
These conversations matter because transformation is not an event. It is a process. It requires honesty, persistence, and humility to learn from experience. I won't stand here and suggest that the work is complete. It is not. Years of high inflation affected household purchasing power. The benefits of reform have not yet reached every citizen in the way they should. We acknowledge these realities because nations move forward by addressing challenges honestly.
One of our most important tasks is preparing the next generation of Ethiopians to thrive in a changing world. We must ensure that the quality of education, the opportunities available, and the institution we build allow their potential to flourish. The real measure of our success will be the results of these reforms. And the questions are, can they generate firms that compete? Can they create opportunities for a growing workforce? Can they really produce a prosperity that reach across regions, communities, and generations? The answer to these questions will show whether this transformation can last.
Ethiopia comes to this conversation with confidence and openness. We seek dialogue grounded in mutual respect. Above all, we seek partnerships that allow us to move forward with greater wisdom and shared purpose. The world is watching Ethiopia's transformation. Some with encouragement, of course, some with skepticism. But our duty is clear: to serve the interests and aspirations of our people, to expand opportunity more broadly than before, and to build institutions that are strong, fair, and lasting.
We all know that no generation completes the work of nation building. Each generation inherits a responsibility to preserve what is valuable, to correct what is not working, and to strengthen the foundations upon which others will build. This is the work before us. In Amharic we call this Ethiopia Man Sararot. It is Ethiopia's leap into the future. The direction is clear. The commitment is firm and what we do now will determine how far our transformation goes.
If we continue to build together with discipline, courage and a shared sense of purpose, I can assure you that this generation will leave Ethiopia stronger than it found it. That is the responsibility we must carry forward. I wish you thoughtful discussions and a productive summit. I also invite you to plant a tree during the lunch break. Enjoy your day. I thank you.
[Applause]
