News Feature

Newsletter 14

Fostering Ethio-India Relations

 Ethiopia's foreign relation is progressing both in terms of the scope of its ties with other nations and its role in the overall development of the country. 

Since the fall of the Dergue fifteen years ago, the country is witnessing a significant shift to strengthening and expanding its foreign relations to promote national interest based on the principle of mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence. 

Encouraging results have been registered over the past decade and a half in this regard. Ethiopia's policy shift from the seige mentality of the previous regime to cooperation and development-oriented relationship with other states has earned the country a lot in its peace and development endeavors. The country strives to promote economic diplomacy at the center of its diplomatic relations thus targeting the economic renaissance of its people.

It is in the same context that trade and economic relations of Ethiopia with other nations are fostered. 

Recently, the Fourth India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee Meeting was held in New Delhi on the 5 th of June 2006, with the aim to expedite trade relations between the two countries.   

The Ethiopian delegation led by State Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Tusa deliberated with its Indian counterpart on how to increase the trade volume, and the need to find out new areas of cooperation with the view to benefit the most out of their relationship. 

Ahmed described the achievement made so far in relation to their trade relations and other sectors of economic cooperation as good, though it needs to be further strengthened and advanced.

India's Minister of State for Commerce, Sh. Jairam Ramesh on his part expressed satisfaction at the growth of trade between the two countries, emphasizing on the need to take measures to diversify the areas of trade and investment the countries are engaged in. 

Trade volume between Ethiopia and India in 2005 reached 2.1 billion birr. In the investment sector, the involvement of Indian investors in various fields of the economy is on the rise. Since 1992, some 179 investor groups with a total capital of 341.7 million dollar have been licensed of which some have completed their field study and others have gone operational. 

The Trade Agreement between Ethiopia and India was signed on 6 th March 1997 in New Delhi.  

Ethiopia and India enjoy excellent bilateral relationship. Sate Minister Ahmed, during the meeting hailed the existing relationship and the good will prevailing between the two countries.

 Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed his country's readiness to uplift Ethio- India relations further to a better degree.  

President Abdul communicated Indian's will to strengthen relations with Ethiopia while receiving the credential of the newly appointed Ethiopian Ambassador to India, Genet Zewdie, on June 19, 2006. 

Ambassador Genet Zewdie on the occasion expressed hope that the furtherance of the bilateral relationships of the two countries would be assured in an accelerated manner. 

The long-standing diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and India dates back to 1948. Since then, the two sisterly countries have endeavored to deepen their ties based on mutual understanding and respect. 

Although the Ethio-India relationship began over half a century ago, the bilateral cooperation gained momentum since 1991 by opening a new chapter in the area of trade and economic cooperation.

Ethiopia's contact with India, according to historian Richard Pankrust, was long-enduring. Trade exchange between them started in the ancient times. This has contributed to the cultural similarities between the two countries and they kept maintaining their relationship to date. 

Ethio-India relation rests on a strong foundation. It has been enhnced, particularly in the area of human resource development, and can be expressed in terms of the trade relations and increasing number of investors investing in Ethiopia. 

Cognizant of the fact that there is still ample opportunity to be explored and exploited in order to further deepen  their relations, the two sides have agreed during their fourth Joint Trade Meeting to strengthen and diversify trade and technical cooperation in such areas as infrastructural projects, agricultural trade, textile, information technology, power and energy, among others.

The government of Ethiopia is committed to accelerate its diplomatic ties with India and other nations thus promoting peaceful co-existence and cooperation geared towards mutual benefit and sustainable development as it is stipulated in its foreign relations policy.