INDIA TO ASSIST
ETHIOPIA IN DEVELOPMENT OF SSIs, AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-BASED MANUFACTURING
SECTOR
RUDY
ADDRESSES INDO-ETHIOPIA JOINT TRADE COM
India
is ready to assist Ethiopia in the development of Small Scale
Industries (SSI), Agriculture, Agro-based Manufacturing Sectors
and Human Resources Development efforts. Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy,
Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, informed this while
addressing the inaugural session of the Indo-Ethiopia 3rd
Joint Trade Meeting at Addis Ababa today. Shri Rudy said that
the small scale industries can be the growth engine for the country’s
socio-economic development and the major constraints faced in
establishing SSIs are how to locate suitable technologies appropriate
to the prevailing conditions of the developing countries. The
Indian Minister said that the two countries traditionally enjoy
close bilateral ties and such meetings need to be held on a regular
basis so as to take stock of the fast changing economic environment.
He expressed the need for business opportunities to be explored
for mutual benefit of the two countries. Shri Rudy pointed out
that the Joint Trade Committee reflects on where we stand, as
developing countries with reference to the assurances given to
us by the developed countries and the closer coordination on this
issue would serve our respective national commercial interests.
The Trade Agreement between India and Ethiopia was signed on 6th
March, 1997 at New Delhi.
India’s
exports to Ethiopia have increased by 22.41% in the year 2000-01,
as compared to the previous year. India’s exports were Rs. 30,410.75
lakhs and imports from Ethiopia were Rs. 1752.18 lakhs. The total
trade between the two countries grew by 27.53% in the year 2000-01.
