At their meeting in Addis Ababa, the lobby organizations representing Djibouti and Ethiopia in logistics discussed how to best utilize their collaboration to boost trade between the two countries.
For the majority of its foreign trade, Ethiopia, the most populous country without a maritime exit, depends on Djibouti.
According to Anteneh Alemu, CEO of Pave Logistics and Trading PLC and Vice President of the Ethiopian Freight Forwarder and Shipping Agents Association (EFFSAA), improving ties and collaboration between EFFSAA and the Association of Djiboutian Freight Forwarders (ATD) is essential for the effectiveness of the industry.
The Ethiopian counterpart has addressed a number of topics with the ATD team, which included President Robleh Mohamed Barreh and Secretary General Robleh Abdillahi Abdi, during their meeting on Thursday, October 17.
The majority of Ethiopian freight forwarders collaborate with their ATD-member counterparts in Djibouti while handling Ethiopian cargoes.
In the past, member logistics companies or organizations operated independently, but today, the Vice President of EFFSAA said, “The two sides have agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and work jointly to enhance relations and establish a formal communication platform between the two sides.”
Anteneh told Capital, “This kind of cooperation shall boost the cooperative spirit and create transparency and trust as a business.”
“We used to act independently when there were changes, like new procedures being implemented or tariffs changed, but now we will work together and share information on the ongoing activity between the two countries,” he continued.
He emphasized that ATD will receive support from the Ethiopian organization that was established in 1998.
They are doing there, in part, what EFFSAA is doing, which is to say, “We will share our experience on capacity building and training programs.”
Bringing together about 89 Djiboutian freight forwarders, ATD unites freight forwarders that work in the nation’s transportation and logistics sectors.
EFFSAA was founded by a group of logistics experts with the goal of giving the industry a greater voice and power.
Ethiopian freight forwarders frequently work with Djiboutian partners to ensure smooth cargo transportation.
The MoU is scheduled to be inked between the two parties in the near future.
