U.S. Senior Commercial Officer Chris Wilken attended a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Electricity, (MOWIE) and Xylem, a leading U.S. company in developing and implementing innovative water solutions through smart technology.
At the event, Chris highlighted the importance of strong partnerships, “As Ethiopia moves ahead with its impressive reform effort, the United States sees a role for American companies like Xylem, to explore how they can build partnerships that create opportunities for Ethiopia and the U.S. alike.”
“From the United States’ perspective, partnerships should be mutually beneficial. That principle of mutual benefit is what underlies our concept of a successful partnership. Partnerships are about identifying an opportunity and applying resources for a result that benefits everyone involved.”
Mr. Wilken added, “as Ethiopia’s strongest bilateral partner for development, the United States knows how critical the management of Ethiopia’s water resources is for the country’s future. Water cuts across nearly every aspect of U.S. development support, underscoring investments in the health and well-being of Ethiopians by ensuring them access to safe, clean water. Used for drinking, hygiene, and health care, water is also needed to irrigate crops, feed livestock and develop renewable energy. Scarce water supplies can become potential sources of conflict around the world.”
Through this MOU, Xylem will explore how its unique set of skills and technologies can be used to help Ethiopia address its water challenges.
The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia congratulates Xylem and MOWIE on their MOU and looks forward to learning more about their partnership is it proceeds.
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