Trade, economic opportunities between Ethiopia & Kazakhstan discussed

Addis Ababa, October 6, 2023 (FBC) – Plans to expand Ethiopia’s trade with Kazakhstan and further with the countries of Central Asia in the context of the government’s economic course were discussed during a seminar organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Addis Ababa.

According to ENA, the event was attended by the Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, Gebremeskel Chala, Chairperson of Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs of the House of Peoples Representatives, Dima Negewo.

Chairman of the Board of the Center for Investment and Networking in Ethiopia and former President of Ethiopia, Mulatu Teshome and Director General of the Middle East, Asia and Pacific affairs Department of Ethiopian Foreign Ministry Ambassador Gebeyehu Ganga and the leadership of the Ethiopian Airlines attended the meeting.

In addition, heads of large Ethiopian companies interested in developing bilateral trade, investment cooperation with Kazakhstan, including the import of goods from Kazakhstan to African countries, and the export of Ethiopian coffee, spices, flowers and other goods to Kazakhstan and the markets of Central Asia were also present.

During the event, information was provided on the policy of Kazakhstan on cooperation with international and regional organizations in the field of trade and investment.

Minister of Trade and Regional Integration Gebremeskel Chala outlined positive trends in trade between the two countries and stressed the government’s readiness to promote business to expand economic ties with Kazakhstan.

The former president of the country, the current head of the Center for Investment and Networking in Ethiopia Mulatu Teshome summed up the results of his visit to Kazakhstan, noted the productivity of meetings of Ethiopian companies with Kazakh partners and expressed confidence in the further successful cooperation of business structures of the two countries.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan Barlybay Sadykov acquainted the seminar participants with the main directions of economic reforms announced in the annual Address of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dated September, 2023.

The participants of the seminar expressed deep interest in trade and investment cooperation with Kazakhstan and the opening of joint ventures in priority sectors of the economy, according to Kazakhstan.

They also exchanged plans for the implementation of the agreements reached following the visit of the Ethiopian business delegation to Kazakhstan in June this year and the second round of political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the two countries held in Astana in July 2023.