Somalia and Ethiopia sign trade agreements in Mogadishu

Somali Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Ahmed Jammeh and his Ethiopian counterpart Demeke Mekonnen concluded the first meeting of the Somali-Ethiopian Joint Ministerial Committee, which took place in Mogadishu on September 5-6.

During the meeting, the two neighboring countries signed agreements related to trade and cooperation, marking a new beginning aimed at expanding mutual benefits across various sectors. Mr. Jammeh expressed Somalia's keenness to strengthen its bilateral relations with Ethiopia, on the basis of mutual respect, to promote growth and benefit from opportunities that will be beneficial to the citizens of both countries.

He stressed that the inaugural meeting of the joint committee in Mogadishu represents a positive step towards enriching the lives of the people of the two countries and opening development opportunities for both countries.

For his part, the Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, stressed the need to expand Ethiopian-Somali relations beyond political and security issues to include more areas of mutually beneficial cooperation. He praised the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, for his efforts in combating Al-Shabaab militants.

He added, “Somalia and Ethiopia share high culture and values ​​that will always remain an eternal, unbroken bond,” stressing the importance of strengthening the relationship between the two peoples by exploring new ways of cooperation that represent a natural extension of this historical connection, expressing the Ethiopian government’s keenness to “continue commitment to facilitating and enhancing all aspects of Cooperation between the two countries.”

Hamza Adam, Permanent Secretary of the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that Somali businessmen will benefit from the large market in Ethiopia, which has a population of more than 120 million people. He stressed that various products, including fish, will find markets in Ethiopia, while Ethiopian companies will reap their benefits from the Somali market.