East Africa: Ethiopia, Oman Commit to Strengthen Political and Economic Cooperation

Ethiopia and the Sultanate of Oman have taken a significant step to deepen their bilateral relations by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and holding their first-ever political consultation in Addis Ababa.

The MoU was signed by Ethiopia's State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadera Abera, and Oman's Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, who is currently on an official working visit to Ethiopia.

As part of the visit, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Gedion Timothewos held discussions with the Omani undersecretary, emphasizing the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries.

He reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to strengthening cooperation and advancing shared interests with Oman.

The political consultation focused on enhancing collaboration in political and socioeconomic areas.

It reviewed bilateral relations and explored expanded cooperation in trade, investment, regional security, and multilateral affairs

Both sides highlighted opportunities to expand investment, promote tourism, encourage people-to-people exchanges and increase official as well as business visits.

In addition, the two countries exchanged views on regional peace and security issues, particularly developments affecting the Horn of Africa and the Gulf region.

The discussions underscored the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation on matters of mutual concern.

Ambassador Hadera underscored Ethiopia's economic reforms and investment opportunities, encouraging Omani engagement in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and agro-processing, as well as stronger trade promotion and private-sector collaboration.

For his part, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy expressed Oman's interest in expanding cooperation in banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, education, culture, legal migration, tourism, and heritage management.

Both sides stressed the importance of regular consultations, regional cooperation frameworks, and visits to deepen ties.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ethiopia and Oman expressed their shared commitment to sustaining political consultations and boosting bilateral engagement across diplomatic, economic, and social sectors.

Read the original article on ENA.