Marking the first anniversary of the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement between the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 2, an official statement described the document as having been instrumental in silencing the guns and paving the way to pave the way for the gradual normalization of life in the north of the country.
He recalled that the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the resumption of all essential services in the Tigray region were immediately accelerated and facilitated, as well as the establishment of a Rehabilitation Commission in charge of the demobilization and reintegration process of former TPLF combatants.
Among the measures implemented, he included the removal of the designation as a terrorist organization and the banning of the front by the House of Representatives (Parliament), as well as the release of prisoners to create even more trust.
An interim regional administration was established and budgetary subsidies and support were provided through federal fiscal transfers as well as sectoral and horizontal assistance from other regions.
“Sustainable peace requires reciprocity on both sides. As a post-conflict environment, the people of Tigray demand that all regional government services function in the interests of the people of the region through public servants,” the official statement said.
On the other hand, reviewing bilateral trade and investment ties and exploring areas of cooperation were the focus of the sixth meeting of the India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee on Monday and Tuesday.
The meeting was co-chaired by Economic Adviser to the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Trade and Industry, India, Priya P. Nair and Tages Mulugeta, the Senior Officer of the International and Regional Trade Integration Division of the Ethiopian Trade and Regional Integration Portfolio.
Both sides agreed to quickly address all issues hampering bilateral trade and facilitate promotion in this sector between the two countries.
Nair invited Mulugeta to work on the unified payment interface for New Delhi and urged to explore the possibility of settling commercial transactions in local currency, which would help save foreign exchange.
Areas of collaboration to be explored included healthcare and pharmaceutical products, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure projects, food processing and agricultural products, among others.
They also reviewed the progress of the ongoing discussions for the Memorandum of Understanding in the areas of standardization, quality assurance and customs procedures and agreed to conclude them expeditiously.
Bilateral trade between India and Ethiopia stood at $642.59 million in 2022-2023 and the Asian country is the second largest exporter after Addis Ababa.
The day before, the first Saudi Arabia-Africa Summit was held in Riyadh, where Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed today highlighted that country’s commitment to the development of the continent in recent decades, reflected in the Saudi Fund for Development and other financial institutions .
He explained that through synergy with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, hopes are high for both parties to cooperate in the areas of investment, trade and mutual economic development.
In the case of Ethiopia, he recalled that the agricultural sector is one of the five pillars and main drivers of development, with the national wheat initiative standing out by increasing to more than six million hectares of cultivated area twice a year.
Ahmed urged to deepen cooperation on food security and sovereignty by challenging our respective potentials and strengths. He concluded by pledging to work closely with Saudi Arabia to promote mutual development and strengthen bilateral relations.
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