Madam Rakiya EDDARHEM, Secretary of State in charge of foreign trade at the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy received on 16 January 2018 at the headquarters of the department, S.E.Dr. Girma Amente, Minister of Public Enterprise of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The talks focused on bilateral trade relations and the ways and means of developing trade flows and economic partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Madam Secretary of State emphasized the special interest that Morocco places, under the inspirational guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in strengthening the South-South cooperation with its African sister countries in general and the economic and trade partnership with Ethiopia in particular.

Regarding trade relations, Madam Secretary of State stressed that commercial trade between Morocco and Ethiopia is steadily increasing and totalled almost 758 million dirhams. Exports reached close to 754 million dirhams, 98.8% of which corresponds to fertilizers, making Morocco the leading supplier of such products for Ethiopia.

Regarding promotional activities, she also pointed out that the holding of the Morocco-Ethiopia Business Forum, and the Moroccan participation to the 10th Ethiopian Trade Fair were highlights of the year 2017. The promotional activities demonstrate the willingness and determination of Moroccan and Ethiopian operators to explore existing opportunities on both sides.

However, she stressed that Morocco-Ethiopia trade relations remained below the opportunities available to both countries, hence the need to breath new life into bilateral trade and investment flows in order to raise them to a level matching the excellent friendly and brotherly relations established between the two countries.