Ethiopia Reaffirms Commitment to WTO Accession

Addis Ababa, July 23, 2025 (ENA) -- State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalign has reaffirmed Ethiopia’s strong commitment to joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the WTO General Assembly currently underway in Geneva, the State Minister emphasized Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts and readiness for the 6th Working Party meeting on its accession.

Leading a high-level delegation, Eyob is attending the General Assembly to deepen Ethiopia’s engagement with the global trading system and accelerate the country’s accession process.

 

Okonjo-Iweala welcomed Ethiopia’s progress and commended the continued commitment at all levels toward concluding the long-standing accession process.

She underscored the importance of sustaining the current momentum to ensure the completion of negotiations within the agreed timeframe.

Both sides agreed to hold the 6th Working Party meeting at the end of September 2025.

 

Negotiations are expected to continue uninterrupted, to finalize Ethiopia’s accession during the WTO Ministerial Conference scheduled to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026.