The European Union (EU) on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Ethiopian government to provide some 10 million euros (11.9 million U.S. dollars) for professional and civic associations in the Horn of Africa country.

Under the agreement, the stated sum of fund was provided for the civic and professional associations beginning the current European Year.

The fund will be utilized over the next five years for empowering women, human rights protection, democratization and other related activities, it said.

The Ethiopian government has established a bureau responsible to facilitate ways of utilizing the fund, it added.

Source: Xinhua