ADDIS ABABA – With a special emphasis on economic partnerships, Ethiopian ambassadors to the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany pledged to solidify Ethiopia’s age-long diplomatic and people-to-people ties with the respective countries.
The ambassadors told The Ethiopian Herald that the embassies in London and Berlin as well as a
Consulate General in Frankfurt are furthering their engagement with various stakeholders to enable Ethiopia benefit from the countries huge financial and technological capabilities.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to UK, Fisseha Shawl said that the diplomatic mission in London is extending efforts to conduct promotional activities and holding business forums to attract investors in some priority areas such as energy development, agribusiness, IT and aviation.
Ambassador Fisseha noted that the Embassy is also promoting Ethiopia’s attractive incentive packages among British investors and facilitating conditions for them to have a meaningful involvement in the country’s market.
Concerning British investment, the Ambassador said that UK’s big companies have been attracted by Ethiopia’s sustainable economic growth, availability of land and abundant labor. More investment is coming to Ethiopia by seeing the performance of companies that are already investing here like Diageo, a British firm involved in the brewery business.
The Embassy briefs British companies about government’s commitment to attract foreign investment and the specialized
industrial parks it has built across the country to ease the bureaucratic and infrastructural setbacks investors have been encountering, he elaborated.
Noting UK is one of Ethiopia’s strategic development partners, the Ambassador indicated that consolidated efforts are underway to attract British investors to engage in the priority manufacturing sector.
In addition to the economic partnership, fighting terrorism, and ensuring peace and stability are among the major areas the two countries are working together.
Ambassador Fisseha stated that Ethiopia is committed to extend partnership with the UK in efforts to restore peace and stability in Somalia by fighting Al-Shabab, the Al-Qaeda affiliated group, and in South Sudanese peace process.
For her part Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Germany, Mulu Solomon said that it is her mission to tap Germany’s global leadership in technological advancement and rich knowledge for the benefit of the people and economy of Ethiopia.
The Ambassador stated that Ethiopia’s rapid economic growth catches the attention of Germany’s flagship companies including the automotive giant Volkswagen, a multinational engineering and electronics company, Bosch and Europe’s largest industrial manufacturing company,Siemens. Furthermore, many German-based investments are on the pipeline.
Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions in Germany are partnering with relevant bodies and promote Ethiopia’s double digit economic growth, big young population and improved infrastructure as well as utilities among German businesses in the view to assuring them the country is in a very good way for foreign investors.
She indicated that the missions have also been hugely engaged to enable German companies to know Ethiopia’s wide investment opportunities and enabling business climate.
Apart from economic partnership, Ethiopia and Germany share experiences in sheltering large number of refugees and activities to improve their conditions, Ambassador Mulu noted.
UK and Germany are among the leading European countries in development cooperation with Ethiopia.
Herald April 23/2019
BY BILAL DERSO
