Vast range of areas for trade with Ethiopia

Deals are set to be negotiat-ed between Vietnam and Ethiopia to pave the way for both sides to cement economic, trade, and investment ties.

- By Thanh Thanh

During Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali’s visit to Vietnam last week, where he met with Vietnamese leaders, Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam told him that Vietnam attached importance to friendship and cooperation with African friends, including Ethiopia.

He suggested that the two sides identify a number of priority areas of cooperation based on the potential and needs of both countries, especially in agriculture, trade, investment, sci-tech, and connection of individuals and businesses.

Prime Minister Ahmed Ali and Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh agreed to discuss and negotiate basic agreements to create a favourable legal corridor for economic cooperation, especially a free trade agreement, an investment promotion and protection agreement, a double taxation avoidance agreement, a cooperation deal on cybersecurity, and high-tech crime prevention.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the two prime ministers also agreed to discuss and introduce projects in potential areas such as telecommunications, digital transformation, cybersecurity, mining, industrial and consumer goods production, processing industry development, agricultural product export, civil construction, infrastructure development, education and training, healthcare, and tourism.