Business representatives from Djibouti and Ethiopia on Monday agreed to establish a joint business council designed to improve bilateral business relations. The agreement was announced on the third day of a visit to Djibouti by representatives of the Ethiopian chamber of commerce, AFP reported on Monday. The council will regularly examine the state of bilateral business relations and make recommendations to the two governments towards creating for their respective business communities an environment more conducive to the smooth running of business affairs by means of gradually harmonising relevant regulations and removing existing obstacles. In particular, Djibouti-based companies condemned the non-payment of bills issued by their transit and handling companies in respect of forwarding goods to Ethiopia, and the bureaucratic obstacles to establishing businesses in Ethiopia and transferring funds from Ethiopia. Since the war with Eritrea broke out in 1998, Djibouti port has handled the bulk of Ethiopian imports.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article
