Determining Factors of European Union-African Union Members States Cooperation: A Case Study of Germany and Ethiopia

African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) and their member countries have vigorous diplomatic cooperation trends primarily based on shared values, interests and history. Based on those developments, both Union's members countries enjoyed long decades of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This study examined fundamental driving factors that affect their cooperation processes. The aim is to examine the Union's participants' states' cooperation effectiveness and challenges, particularly Germany from the EU and Ethiopia from AU. Engagements mainly focus on promoting economic, humanitarian aid, socio-political partnership, and cultural relations. Cooperation of both countries had been wired extensively and moved to a strategic partnership, reflecting the close bonds that have advanced people-to-people ties. Besides, the current trends indicate that the economic cooperation dimensions of both nations are improving. Despite such useful teamwork, there are also challenges hampering historic bonds and diplomatic cooperation. The critical factors affecting the bilateral cooperation of Germany and Ethiopia are the lack of advancement of technologies in Ethiopia, political dynamics and poor institutional capability in Ethiopia, and fears of survival and the movements of terrorists' networks in the horn of Africa region, particularly in Somalia and other neighbouring countries of Ethiopia. Ethiopia's internal conflict, particularly in Northern provinces, is also the cause of confusion and misunderstandings among both friendly countries. These trends observed as influencing factor of the cooperation. However, EU members countries particularly, Germany is a strategic partner and a good friend of Ethiopia since decades. German played substantial roles in addressing the demanding situations of poverty, economic development cooperation and infrastructure improvement in Ethiopia. Both countries cooperation overextended to level of comprehensive strategic partnership.