Posted by Meseret Bekele
Addis Ababa November 03/2014 Ethiopia and Egypt have signed 5 agreements that expand their collaborations in various spheres.
The areas of agreements are education, technical training, trade cooperation, health, women affairs, and capacity building in diplomacy.
The agreements were signed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tewodros Adhanom and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry who took part in the 5th Ethio-Egypt Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister Dr. Tewodros Adhanom said the cooperation agreements are based on lasting mutual benefits of Ethiopia and Egypt and to also bring closer the peoples of the two countries.
Ethiopia will do everything necessary to ensure the mutual benefits of the countries and boost trade and economic relations, he underscored.
He also urged Egypt businesspersons who had invested in Ethiopia to make use of the investment opportunity in the country by increasing their participation.
Dr. Tewodrs recalled the signing of 20 different agreements with Egypt earlier.
According to him, a common stand is taken at the meeting to identify the weaknesses in implementing the past agreements and realize them with commitment.
He said the Ethiopian people and government strongly condemn the terroristic attacks on Egypt in Sinai and Ethiopia will give all the necessary support to fight the problem.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on his part Egypt is ready to improve its relationship with Ethiopia which is based on mutual benefit and principle.
Boosting the long lasting relationship of the two countries in trade and economy is the priority of his government, according to Shoukry.
He stated that Egypt is committed to realizing the cooperation agreements it signed in the various sectors.
With respect to Nile River, Egypt is working for the mutual benefits of the peoples of the two countries and the issue in this respect is showing encouraging results, he pointed out.
According to Munir Fakhri, Egypt’s Minster of Trade, Industry, Medium and Light Enterprises, efforts are being exerted to boost the annual trade exchange of the two countries to half a billion dollar.
A business form that brought together 40 Egyptians and 65 Ethiopia businesspersons together was also held here in Addis Ababa prior to the 5th Ethio-Egypt Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting.
Out of the more than 60 Egyptian companies investing in different sector in Ethiopia 22 have reportedly gone operational.