Ethio-Germany Relations
Ethiopia and Germany have more than 100 years of
bilateral diplomatic relations. They have regular bilateral political
consultations at their foreign ministries level. The previous sessions have
helped enhance the strategic relationship between the two countries mainly focusing
on promoting and enhancing economic cooperation, finding solutions for regional
peace and security impediments in the Horn of Africa. Thus, Ethiopia has become
one of Germany’s economic cooperation priorities in Africa.
Germany is one of the largest importers of Ethiopian
goods, primarily coffee and textiles, and until 2014 it was traditionally the
biggest buyer of Ethiopian coffee, taking more than 30 present of the country’s
total coffee exports. The main German exports to Ethiopia are finished products
such as machinery, engines, motor vehicles, chemicals, and medicines. German
companies have recently begun to invest in Ethiopia, especially in the flower
growing and the leather processing industries. Since 2016, heavy vehicle
manufacturer MAN has been selling dissembled HGV components to
a customer in Ethiopia and is assisting with training and assembly.
In 2017, Siemens opened its East Africa headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopian Airlines and DHL (minority share) set up a joint venture
in 2018. Volkswagen signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Ethiopian Investment Commission in late January 2019.
Economic Relation
-
German investors
have expressed a desire to engage in various sectors in Ethiopia.
-
20 Companies are at
operational Level, 12 Companies are in the Implementation stage and 9-in
Pre-implementation level.
-
In 2017 the value
of Ethiopian export to Germany was close to 195,084,746.33 million dollars,
while Ethiopia imported goods worth 232,167,643.69 million dollars from Germany during the same
period.
Development Cooperation
-
A Summary Record of
the Negotiations on Development Cooperation between the Government of The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has been signed on September 2014
·
Bilaterally signed more than 85 Agreements,
Minutes MOUS and Exchange of
Notes in the field of Trade and Investment, Culture as well as educational and
scientific co-operation.
·
Since June
24/2019 they have Joint Ministerial Council.
Bilateral Visit
From
the German side:-
§ Former
German Federal President, H.E. Mr. Roman Herzog (1996)
§ Former
Chancellor, Gerhard Shroeder ( 2004)
§ Former
German Federal President, Horst Kohler
(2004)
§ Incumbent
German Federal President, H.E. Dr. Frank-Water Steienmeier (2018)
§ Incumbent
Chancellor, H.E. Dr. Angela Merkel ( 2007and 2016)
§ Parliamentary
Delegation ( 2011)
§ Incumbent
Federal President, H.E. Dr. Joachim Gauck (2013).
§ Federal
Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection (2013)
§ Foreign
Minister, H.E Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier ( 2019)
§ Parliamentary
Undersecretary, H.E. Thomas Sibelhorn (2014)
§ German
Parliament Group (Bundestag) East African group (2016)
From
the Ethiopian side:-
§ Late
Prime Minister, H.E. Ato. Meles Zenawi. ( 2002)
§ Late Prime
Minister, H.E. Ato. Meles Zenawi. ( 2004)
§ Late
Prime Minister, H.E. Meles Zenawi for the G-7 meeting(2007)
§ Late Former
President, H.E. Ato. Girma Wolde
Giorgis. ( 2008)
§ Prime
Minister, H.E. Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn. (2014)
§ Prime
Minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, (2018)
§
Good people-to-people relation sister
cities (Addis Ababa - Leipzig (ላይፕዚግ/ሽ), Alem Ketema-Vaterstetten,(ፋተርሽቴትን),
Gotta-Adwa and Witten-Mekele )
§
University cooperation and joint
research schemes on sustainable land management, biosphere conservation,
agriculture
Multilateral relations
§
German support to Ethiopia is
channeled through multilateral organizations like the European Union, United
Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.
