Netherlands Enhancing Partnership with Ethiopia

Addis Ababa May 23/2018 The government of Netherlands aims to further enhance investments in agriculture and trade and provide support in health infrastructure development. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Bengt Van Loosdrecht said his country also  wants to  improve bilateral partnership to a higher level. Investors interested in developing new floriculture farms in Amhara Region are conducting the social impacts of the farms to determine investment in the sector, he added. Van Loosdrecht stated that Dutch flower growers are the largest investors in Ethiopia and they generate 10 percent of export of the country. The ambassador believes that the most attractive agribusiness sub-sector for Dutch investors includes cut flowers, vegetables, and fruit, sesame, and dairy products. Besides, his country  is supporting Dutch companies to invest in Ethiopia, and many Dutch companies have been engaged since 2004, the ambassador said. Noting the ninety years trade relationship with Ethiopia, the ambassador said his country and Ethiopia will be good partners for the future. According to him, the countries have a general agreement which was signed in 2015 with the aim of contributing to the economic transformation of Ethiopia and poverty eradication. The government wants to boost the effort it already started in food security by improving the agricultural techniques with the view to feeding more people by using select seeds. With respect to health, the countries are enhancing their cooperation in the health sector specifically in construction of a cardiac centre in Addis Ababa, Black Lion hospital. "This indicates Netherlands' commitment to boost its tie in more diverse fields," Van Loosdrecht said. Netherlands is second largest country to invest in Ethiopia next to Turkey with 130 companies which created over 70,000 jobs.