France has granted €5 million to Ethiopia for the restoration of Lalibela Churches, one of the world heritages in eastern African nation.
The grant agreement was signed between the ministry of finance and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Thursday.
The grant signing came after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee requested the Ethiopian government to deliver additional studies and a comprehensive strategy to preserve and restore the site of the 11 churches of Lalibela.
The french development agency the fund will help the Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Authority (ECHA) to conduct the preparatory phase of a program of Preservation and restoration of the churches of Lalibela, and around the heritage site.
“AFD demonstrates today its strong support to Ethiopian authorities and Lalibela communities to preserve and promote their unique heritage in Lalibela,” said Valérie Tehio, AFD country director in Ethiopia.
The grant will also support the development of ECHA’s capacity and will enable the study of a complementary local development program for the city of Lalibela, the agency added.
MG/as/APA