Ethiopia, Russia vow to deepen multifaceted cooperation during an intergovernmental meeting

Addis Ababa, December 19, 2023 (FBC) – The meeting of Co-Chairs of the intergovernmental Ethiopia-Russia Commission on Economic, Scientific and Trade Cooperation held in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

High government officials, representatives of companies and business communities from both the Ethiopian and Russian sides have attended the forum.

Chairman of the intergovernmental commission from the Ethiopian side and the Innovation and Technology Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Belete Molla (PhD), addressing the forum, stated that the meeting creates an opportunity to unlock economic and technological potentials to realize prosperity for the people of the two countries.

Belete said that the forum will also serve as a platform significant to nurture political relations between Ethiopia and Russia to ensure peace and security in the respective regions, the African continent and beyond.

“This year marks the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Russia. I congratulate the peoples and governments of both countries on this historic milestone. The diplomatic relationship between Ethiopia and Russia is built on unshakable rock-foundation. Heartwarming spiritual and cultural bonds have flourished in the minds and hearts of Ethiopians and Russians over time,” Belete noted.

Based on mutual agreement and understanding reached during the 8th Joint Commission meeting to develop legal frameworks, more than five agreements have been signed between the two countries this year in areas including Air Service, International Information Security, Joint Biological Research Center, Customs Cooperation and Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes, he indicated, reaffirming commitment to translate the agreements into practice.

The minister said that despite a very cordial and historical friendship Ethiopia and the Russian Federation have been enjoying, the economic cooperation, particularly the trade and investment relations between the countries have not progressed as expected, stressing that it is high time to convert the vested interests shown from both sides into tangible and practical works to unlock massive opportunities and maximize trade and investment cooperation. 

Belete expressed his government’s keen interest to design and implement Ethiopia-Russia joint practical industrial projects in the fields of agriculture, fertilizer, agrochemicals and agricultural machinery in Ethiopia. He also stressed a need to establish a joint metallurgical and metal products industry.

“It is also high time for Ethiopia and Russia to work hand in hand in the energy sector. Ethiopia is open for Russian companies to invest in building new power plants of hydropower, wind-farm, geothermal energy, natural gas and solar energy in the form of Public Private Partnership,” the Minister underscored, calling the Russian public and private companies to invest also in agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, ICT, exploration and development of mineral resources in Ethiopia. 

He also emphasized the need to work together in developing and utilizing advanced health technologies, such as Nuclear-Medicine, Tele- Health, Specialty and Subspecialty Health Services.

“It is vital for Ethiopia and Russia to enhance collaboration to ensure global peace and security,” he said, adding that Ethiopia would like to express our readiness to collaborate with Russia in the areas of information warfare technologies, cyber-crime investigation, aerospace technologies, artificial intelligence and ICT infrastructure expansion and management.

The Minister further encouraged the Russian investors and companies to explore the huge opportunities and exciting incentives available in Ethiopia in the manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, pharmaceutical and other sectors. 

Chairman of the Commission on the Russian side and Head of Federal Agency for Minerals Resources of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Petrov (PhD), for his part, commended the long standing bilateral relationship between the two countries as historical and cordial.

Evgeny Petrov pointed out that Russian companies are showing keen interest to invest in Ethiopia in various sectors including energy, agriculture, chemical industry, among others.

A number of documents were signed including intergovernmental agreements to ensure international IT security on the establishment and functioning of the joint Russian and Ethiopian Center for Biological Research, he added.

He reaffirmed the Russian Federation’s commitment to enhance the trade and economic ties and bilateral cooperation in education, science and technology. 

He added that there is an agreement between the two countries on air communication of service and the roadmap for establishing cooperation and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Saying the energy sector is of paramount importance for Ethiopia and Russia ties, he affirmed the readiness of Russian companies in implementing joint projects with their Ethiopian counterparts in this regard.

Russia is also ready to share its immense experiences in the geological sector with Ethiopia and provide capacity building assistance to Ethiopia experts to help the country better utilize its natural resources, he indicated.

Feasibility studies are being conducted towards implementing joint projects for the benefit of the two countries,  reaffirming Russia’s commitment to take the multifaceted cooperation with Ethiopia to the next level. Finally, the two sides have signed the minute of the joint statment.

By Wondesen Aregahegn