Ethiopia, Thailand Move to Strengthen Trade, Investment and Diplomatic Ties

Addis Ababa, August 28, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia and Thailand have agreed to strengthen their longstanding bilateral relations by expanding trade, investment, and development cooperation, Foreign Affairs Minister Gedion Timothewos said.

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to establish a platform for regular political consultations, aimed at further deepening political and diplomatic engagement between the two sides.

Speaking at a joint press briefing following the signing, Minister Gedion said Ethiopia and Thailand have maintained a longstanding and friendly relationship, sharing traditions and values.

He said the discussions focused on ways to transform the two countries’ strong diplomatic and political relations into robust economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

“We have explored ways through which we could turn our really good diplomatic and political ties into robust economic, investment, and trade relations,” Gedion said.

The Minister also expressed Ethiopia’s expectation that Thailand establish a permanent diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa, saying the country hopes to welcome a resident Thai ambassador soon.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said his visit marks an opportunity to strengthen Thailand’s friendship and cooperation with Ethiopia and to officially relaunch the Thailand-Africa Initiative.

He said Addis Ababa was chosen as the location for the initiative’s relaunch due to its role as the headquarters of the African Union.

Sihasak said the newly signed MoU on regular political consultations would provide an important mechanism for the two countries to discuss political developments and advance cooperation across various areas.

He further highlighted development cooperation as an important dimension of the partnership, describing it as being in the spirit of South-South cooperation.

The Thai Deputy Prime Minister said Thailand is ready to share its experience and expertise with Ethiopia, particularly in agriculture and value addition.

“Ethiopia has many excellent agricultural products that we can help create more value for,” he said, adding that Thailand could support efforts to strengthen supply chains and scale up production so Ethiopian products can access global markets with the support of Thai companies.

Sihasak also emphasized the potential for a stronger economic partnership, noting that many Thai companies see significant business opportunities in Ethiopia.

He said 13 Thai companies are accompanying his delegation and are interested in identifying business opportunities in the country.

A business forum bringing together Thai and Ethiopian private-sector representatives is scheduled to take place tomorrow, which he described as an important first step toward expanding business-to-business cooperation.

The Thai Foreign Minister also confirmed that Thailand has decided to open an embassy in Ethiopia with a resident ambassador, expressing hope that the process would be completed as soon as possible.

He further invited Minister Gedion to Bangkok next year for the inaugural session of the regular political consultations between Ethiopia and Thailand.