Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK Teferi Melesse
Ethiopia and the United Kingdom (UK) have finalized the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to scale up the diplomatic ties to a strategic partnership level, said the Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK Teferi Melesse said that the activities are ongoing to elevate the diplomatic ties between the two parties. The bilateral relations between the two sides are in a good position. The preparations have been finalized to sign the MoU to scale up the diplomatic ties with the UK to a strategic partnership.
“We agreed with the UK government to scale up the existing relation into a strategic partnership by communicating with the country’s Foreign Ministry and parliament. The two countries’ cooperation and relation have been strengthening from time to time.”
The signing of the MoU would help to further strengthen the strategic cooperation between the two countries in education, health, manufacturing, agro-processing, investment, trade, people-to-people ties and other sectors. Furthermore, it would contribute to further widening diplomatic ties by evaluating gaps, he said.
The ambassador mentioned that the UK didn’t impose sanctions following the Northern Ethiopia conflict.
The UK government recently launched zero-tariff and tax opportunities for Ethiopia and other countries. “We hope to exploit the UK’s growing market for export since Ethiopia has been working aggressively on agriculture, manufacturing and agro-processing,” he added.
As to him, the UK government pledged to increase its development aid from 80 million euros to 200 million in 2024. These all are indicators of the scaling up of bilateral ties between the two countries. The UK investment in Ethiopia accounts for 20% of foreign investment when compared to other countries. The UK investors are showing an interest in investing in the mining, energy, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors.
Hence, the UK banks are conducting a study to join Ethiopia’s financial sectors when it opens. Moreover, experienced contractors in the sector are showing their keen interest in being part of the construction of Ethiopian Airlines planned to build new airport, Ambassador stated.
