The European Union has outlined plans to back a major transport corridor connecting Addis Ababa to Djibouti, Berbera, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam as part of its Global Gateway initiative.

The program, detailed in a recent EU report, highlights Ethiopia’s central role in regional connectivity. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway is singled out as a priority route, with further links through Berbera in Somaliland and onward to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

The EU said the investment aims to ease trade flows, strengthen logistics, and integrate Ethiopia more closely with East African neighbors. Improved corridors are expected to support exports, reduce transport costs, and provide alternative gateways beyond Djibouti, which currently handles over 90 percent of Ethiopia’s international trade.

The initiative forms part of the Global Gateway strategy, through which the EU plans to mobilize €300 billion worldwide for sustainable infrastructure by 2027. In East Africa, the corridor program is seen as a tool to stimulate regional integration and enhance supply chain resilience.