Ethiopia and Colombia convened a high-level business roundtable today at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa, bringing together senior government officials, business leaders, and institutional representatives from both countries to explore avenues for enhanced economic cooperation.

The Ethiopian delegation was led by State Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, Yasmin Wahabrebi, and included representatives from the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce, the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the private sector.

The Colombian side was headed by Vice Minister for Foreign Trade, Felipe Quintero Suarez, accompanied by Colombia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Yeison Arcadio Meneses Copete, as well as representatives from ProColombia, Fondo Mujer, MinComercio, and Ella Exporta a África.

In her opening remarks, State Minister Yasmin Wahabrebi underscored Ethiopia’s wide-ranging economic reforms, noting macroeconomic and structural adjustments, the liberalization of the telecommunications and banking sectors, and the modernization of trade directives. She further emphasized Ethiopia’s active engagement in continental and global frameworks, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) accession negotiations, stressing the importance of translating these reforms into stronger trade and investment linkages with Colombia. (FMC)