Gateway to Africa

Ethiopia - Turkey Business and Trade Investment Committee Meeting

 

Nejashi Ethio-Turkish International Schools aim to seek ways to boost bilateral relations of Ethiopia and Turkey by organizing some business-purposed events as well and we have just organized a business meeting for Ethiopian and Turkish businessmen on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa.

A group of 36 businessmen from Turkey were hosted in Addis Ababa  by our schools for two days to seek opportunities of investment in different areas. The participants (most of them are among the top businessmen in their area of interest) from Turkey achieved this visit the cooperation of of Aegean and Western Mediterranean Industrialists and Businessmen Federation (ESIDEF) and Nejashi Ethio-Turkish International Schools. ESIDEF is a member Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) and the federation is comprised of 6500 businessmen and investors operating in Izmir and the neighboring cities.

Ethiopia-Turkey Business and Trade Investment Committee Meeting was held between 09:30 and 13:45 with the participation of the distinguished diplomats and businessmen. The meeting had two parts; in the first part a forum was organized and in the second part person to person meetings were held. 

The forum was opened with the speech of H.E. Dr. Mulatu Teshome, Ethiopian Ambassador to Turkey. The Deputy Governor of Izmir, the third biggest city of Turkey, H.E. Dr. Ergüder Can, the President of Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce, Madam Mulu Solomon, Advisor to the State Minister of Industry, Dr. Ahmet Nur, the Honorary Counselor of Ethiopia to Izmir, Mr. Ahmet Küçükbay, the Trade Attaché of Turkey to Ethiopia, Mr. Ergüç Ülker and the President of ESIDEF, Mr. Mustafa Özkara were among the speakers in the Forum. The forum was concluded with the presentation of Ethiopian Investment Agency.

After the forum, guests from Turkey and around 600 businessmen from Ethiopia had a chance to discuss further possibilities and opportunities of investment and trade. After the meeting, Ethiopian businessmen were invited to Turkey and Turkish businessmen promised to come back to Ethiopia to achieve their goals in cooperation with the Ethiopian counterparts. In the bilateral meetings, it was underlined that Ethiopia has been chosen as a gateway to Africa by Turkey.

Ethiopia-Turkey Business and Trade Investment Committee Meeting was given a break for lunch. In the afternoon session, all the guests attended to the Ethio-Turkish Cultural Show organized by our schools between 14:30 and 17:15 at Sheraton Addis.