Addis Ababa, February 8, 2020 (FBC) – President Sahle-Work Zewde held talks today with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.
Prime Minister Trudeau and President Sahle-Work discussed opportunities to deepen trade and investment linkages, creating jobs and opportunities for people in Canada and Ethiopia.
The Prime Minister expressed Canada’s interest in entering into negotiations on a Foreign Investment Protection Agreement with Ethiopia.
The two leaders also met with members of a Canadian trade delegation, including Export Development Canada, Canadian Commercial Corporation, and FinDev Canada, to discuss how to strengthen commercial ties between both countries.
Prime Minister Trudeau, accompanied by the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, Mary Ng, showcased Canada’s world-class expertise in sectors with potential to support Ethiopia’s growth, such as clean technologies, infrastructure, and information and communication technologies.
He noted the importance of Ethiopia as a market for Canadian companies seeking to expand their global reach, building upon the strong connections between people in both countries.
The two leaders also welcomed greater collaboration between Canada and Ethiopia on public-private partnerships for infrastructure development.
The Prime Minister and the President discussed mobilizing creativity and capital in the private sector to help drive Africa’s economic transformation and create opportunities for all, especially youth.
The two leaders discussed ways to continue advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, building upon their successful collaboration at Women Deliver hosted by Canada in 2019.
They exchanged views on regional peace and security and agreed to continue to work together to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Ethiopia builds upon the deep friendship between Canada and Ethiopia, founded upon close people-to-people ties, strong commercial relations, and extensive bilateral cooperation.