Defence Ministry- Italy-Africa Cooperation: Historical Aircraft A. VII Ethiopian delivered to Ethiopia by the Italian Government after restoration

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After the official hand-over ceremony held at Vigna di Valle on 30 January, in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed and Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto the aircraft – restored by specialized personnel of the Air Force History Museum- was handed back to the Ethiopian Government.

On 11 February, in Addis Ababa, in the presence of President Saleh-Work Zewde; Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Mayor Adanech Abiebie, the A VII aircraft “Ethiopia 1” Tsehai was installed at the Adwa Victory Memorial during the inauguration ceremony of that site. A one-of-a kind piece, at the beginning of the 1930s the aircraft was used by the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force for connection flights and training activities. It was delivered to Ethiopia at the end of accurate restoration work carried out by Italian Air Force History Museum (MUSAM) technicians.

In fact, the delivery of this historical aircraft is part of the broader development and cooperation projects whose returns will benefit not only the economic and sustainable development sectors but also – as provided by the Cultural Collaboration Agreement signed by Italy and Ethiopia in 1997- the sector of culture, within a continued commitment aimed to improve mutual knowledge  and sharing our respective national historical heritage.