Ethio-Sudan Business Forum Kicks-Off

Addis Ababa April 29/2019 Ethiopia-Sudan Business Forum, aimed at reinforcing business relations between the two countries, is underway in Addis Ababa today.

In his opening remark, Permanent Secretary of Economic Diplomacy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dawano Kedir said the business relation between Ethiopia and Sudan is “below the level of expectation.”

“While the two countries have enormous potential for trade and investment, a lot of efforts are required to improve the existing relations,” he said, adding that the two sides are aggressively working to exploit the opportunities.

President of Sudan's Business Association in Ethiopia, Al Ageed Hassan, said “Absence of inter-banking system between Ethiopia and Sudan crippled the trade relations in both countries.”

However, he said, the political change in Sudan does not have a pernicious effect on the trade relation between the two countries. Today’s business forum is a best showcase for Ethio-Sudan relations.

Ethiopian Ambassador to Sudan, Shiferaw Jarso said on his part that some of 400 Sudanese investors were engaging in various sectors in Ethiopia; but their numbers have dropped into nearly 100 in the last three years.  

The recent situation in Ethiopia and sanction imposed on Sudan have negatively contributed for the decrease in the number of Sudanese investors in Ethiopia, he revealed.

Ambassador Shiferaw said "things are now changed and business opportunities between the two countries will show steadfast improvement."

Referring the recent development in Sudan, the ambassador said the political change in Sudan will not negatively affect the business relation between the two countries.

On the two-day forum, over 150 participants drawn from the Ethio-Sudan business communities, public delegation and government officials are deliberating on ways of enhancing trade and investment relations.