Djibouti expresses desire to import wheat from Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, October 25, 2022 (FBC) – When Ethiopia starts exporting wheat to the foreign market, Djibouti will be the first buyer country, Djibouti’s Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Livestock, and Marine Resources, Mohammed Ahmed Awaleh said.

Ethiopia and Djibouti have cordial relations and long-standing friendship. The two countries have strong cooperation at the leadership level, people-to-people, and economic as well as in regional and international forums.

The countries have been extensively promoting regional integration through the Ethio-Djibouti railway, renewable energy infrastructure, road and import and export trade.

Djibouti’s Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Livestock, and Marine Resources, Mohammed Ahmed Awaleh told ENA that Ethiopia has a major role in facilitating fruit production and clean drinking water supply for Djibouti in the agricultural sector.

He also mentioned that recently, Ethiopia has donated saplings of food and forestry to Djibouti as part of its Green Legacy initiative with a view to ensuring  food security and tackle climate change.

“We are countries with a long history. Our friendship connected not only in the field of agriculture, but also by railways, ports, roads, and water supply; we get our only water supply from Adigala area in Ethiopia. We are also grateful for the large-scale fruit and tree seedlings support that Ethiopia is providing to Djibouti.”

The minister added that Djibouti will take a lot of experiences from the ongoing wheat cultivation of Ethiopia stating that Djibouti will be the first country to buy wheat when Ethiopia starts exporting wheat to the internal market.

He further noted that the two countries will work to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, especially in cross-border agricultural development.

“Ethiopians are our brothers. When they produce enough wheat to export, Djibouti is interested in becoming the first buyer. We give priority to buying wheat from Ethiopia. In the future, we will work to carry out cross-border agricultural development in cooperation. I believe that Ethiopia will also be a part of this.”

Ethiopia is carrying out various activities to create regional economic integration and realize a strong environment.

For example, in the road and energy infrastructure sector, it is creating strong ties with the countries of the region and has paid more attention to people-to-people relations than ever before.

The country is doing successful work in summer irrigated wheat cultivation so that the region can overcome the food insecurity challenges and get rid of aid dependency.

It has recently started its green diplomacy at the regional level and is moving to make it continental.