Ethiopian Embassy, Bharat Chamber of Commerce Organize virtual conference on Africa Day

Addis Ababa, May 25, 2021 (FBC) – Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi in collaboration with Bharat Chamber of Commerce Organized a Virtual Conference entitled ” India-Africa: Emerging Prospects of Cooperation” on Africa Day.

Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi in collaboration with Bharat Chamber of Commerce Organized a Virtual Conference entitled ” India-Africa: Emerging Prospects of Cooperation” on Africa Day in the presence of various African Ambassadors and High Commissioners, president and senior vice president Bharat Chamber of Commerce and other representatives of investment and business members.

Speaking at the virtual conference Ambassador Dr. Tizita emphasized the longstanding fraternal relations between India and Africa that go back to millennia and highlighted that Africa and India are pioneers in the struggle of colonialism to free their countries from the external force.

Her Excellency stressed that the two regions should make use of the wide range of socio-economic, cultural, and trade, investment, education, and security cooperation that exists between them to bring their cooperation to the highest level. She also emphasized the need for cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and requested the Indian government to extend the vaccine access to the vast majority of the people of Africa which are more than ever necessary to address this pandemic and common challenges.

Her Excellency also underscored that despite the impact of COVID 19 that has wreaked havoc on socio-economic life of the people, Africa is able to witness very rapid changes in terms of growth and in-depth transformation, making it one of the fastest -growing, more promising business environments to attract FDI.

The Ambassador also shed a light on the recently created Africa Continental Free Trade Area that will boost regional trade as well as trade exchange between Indo-Africa that stood US$ 76.9 billion. The Ambassador also briefed the broad and profound holistic reforms Ethiopia is undergoing and elaborated the abundant industrial raw materials, competitive labor, favorable environment, and proximity to key markets as a driver for investment.

Furthermore, her Excellency underscored the need to work together in renewable energy, as Ethiopia gears towards accomplishing the GERD project in a bid to provide renewable energy. In light of this, she also briefed the green legacy initiative the country aims to build a climate-resilient green economy which Ethiopia has so far planted 6 billion trees to hit the target of planting 20 billion trees to combat drought and possible desertification.

She also expressed Ethiopia’s readiness to further strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation with the Indian side in various fields, especially trade exchange, investment, textile, pharmaceutical, providing technical support, and capacity building.

Finally, Bharant Chamber of Commerce president H.E Ramesh Kumar Saraogi who organized the event expressed the growing vibrant relations between India and Ethiopia in multifaceted ways and explained the vital role of the establishment of the African Desk to promote two-way trade between industry members of the Chamber and those of the African Countries.