Somalia, Ethiopia sign agreement on fish, khat trade in Mogadishu
2 min read
The governments of Somalia and Ethiopia on Sunday officially signed a trade agreement in Mogadishu to exchange fish and khat.
Somali Minister of Fisheries Abdillahi Bidhan Warsame along with Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Duran Ahmed Farah, Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia and other dignitaries attended the signing of the trade agreement between the two countries which will boost trade ties.
The first shipment of 20,000 tonnes of fish belonging to Somalia has been sent to Ethiopia today.
The Somali government says the trade agreement with Ethiopia will create development projects, resources and trade in goods.
Somali Minister of Fisheries Abdullahi Bidhan said the agreement will help Somali fishermen legally export their products to Ethiopia.
“This is a start. Many people may have wondered why Kenyan Khat was banned? Khat in Kenya has been banned and the Kenyan government has refused to allow us to export to their country (in return); Hands are good at exchanging things,” said Minister Bidhan.
Ethiopia’s ambassador to Somalia said the agreement would balance trade between the two countries and lead to greater prosperity for the people of the two countries in the near future.
“Today, for the first time in history, we launched the marine resource trade, which is an example of the two countries’ keen interest in expanding ties,” he said.
Last week, federal government ministers and a group of Ethiopian and Turkish businessmen toured the ancient town of Warsheikh in the Middle Shabelle region, exploring investment and business opportunities for fish.
