Ethiopian Review

Addis Ababa – The first meeting of the Ethio-Sudan Joint Economic and Trade Committee Meeting opened here on Thursday. The countries established the committee in a bid to further strengthening trade and economic ties.

Ethiopian State Minister of Trade and Industry, Ahmed Tusa on the occasion said the meeting will draft agenda to Ethio-Sudan ministerial meeting, which will be held after two days.

The committee will discuss on ways to further strengthen legal trade in free trade zone and border trade agreements .

The committee will also discuss to bridge the gap created in bank and customs working procedure, evaluate trade and economic ties and discuss on designing new projects and programs.

Currently wide-ranging infrastructural development is in progress. Particularly roads that link South and North Sudan with Ethiopian regional states are well in progress. According to Ahmed , one of the tasks of the meeting is to discuss on ways to finalize construction of the roads as per the schedule.

Sudan meets 70 percent of Ethiopia’s petroleum demand. The joint economic and trade committee meeting will further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in electricity, telecommunications, and investment sectors.

Nagat Hassan Mohamed Salih , Sudanese under Secretary for ministry of foreign trade on her part said the vibrant relations between the countries is exemplary to other African countries.

She said the trade and economic cooperation between Ethiopia and Sudan will benefit the peoples of the two countries.

- ENA