Vietnam – Ethiopia ties to be boosted

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali in Hanoi on April 15, expressing his belief that the latter's official visit will help tighten the friendship and usher in a new stage of substantive and effective cooperation between the two countries for the sake of their peoples, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

The Ethiopian leader and his spouse are in Vietnam from April 14 to 17 for an official visit and the 4th Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) Summit. The trip is the first-ever by a high-ranking Ethiopian leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1976.

PM Chinh was quoted by the State-run news agency as stating at the talks that amid global economic uncertainties and trade tensions, the two countries should promote dialogue and mutual understanding to continue diversifying markets and facilitating bilateral economic, trade, and investment collaboration.

For his part, the Ethiopian PM, as quoted by the news agency, said he is impressed with the Vietnamese people's unyieldingness, as well as the country's socio-economic attainments and growing role in the region and the world. He affirmed Ethiopia’s recognition of Vietnam as a priority partner in Asia and its wish to deepen bilateral cooperation in the areas matching the two sides’ strength and potential.

Highlighting Vietnamese enterprises' initial interest in investing in Ethiopia, the two PMs acknowledged that the current cooperation remains modest compared to the scale and potential of the two economies, which together represent a market of over 230 million people with some of the fastest growth rates in their respective regions.

To create a favorable legal corridor for economic ties, the two sides agreed to negotiate basic agreements and deals, particularly a free trade agreement, an agreement on investment facilitation and protection, a double taxation avoidance agreement, and a cooperation deal on cybersecurity and high-tech crime combat.

The two PMs also agreed to discuss and introduce investment projects in various promising sectors such as telecommunications, digital transformation, cybersecurity, mining, industrial and consumer goods production, processing industry, agricultural export, civil construction, infrastructure development, education and training, health care, and tourism.

Following the talks, the PMs witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on trade cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, and another on educational cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and the Ethiopian Ministry of Education.

Earlier, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations had signed an MoU on cooperation.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese side handed over an official letter of approval that permits Ethiopian Airlines to open a direct air route connecting the two capitals — the first and only direct flight between the two countries so far. This is expected to boost trade and connectivity not only between Vietnam and Ethiopia, but also between Vietnam and Africa as a whole.