The 9th meeting of the Russia–Ethiopia Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Trade Cooperation was held from November 10 to 12 in Moscow. The Ethiopian delegation was led by Belete Molla, Minister of Innovation and Technology and Co-Chair of the Commission, while the Russian delegation was led by Maksim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development and Co-Chair of the Joint Commission.
In his remarks, Minister Belete highlighted that social, economic, and scientific ties between Ethiopia and Russia are growing stronger than ever. He noted that this relationship is reflected in the signing of various bilateral agreements, frequent high-level visits, and the recent productive discussions between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Vladimir Putin, which he said would guide the political and economic partnership in the years ahead and elevate bilateral ties to new heights.
The meeting produced several key outcomes, including the adoption of the agreed minutes and the signing of the Results of Bilateral Negotiations on Ethiopia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as the Protocol on the extension of Scientific and Technological Cooperation initially signed for the period 2013–2017. Minister Belete signed the documents in the presence of Ethiopian government officials, including Bruk Taye, CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings; Takele Uma, CEO of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway Share Company; Hilina Belachew, CEO of the Ethiopian Railway Corporation; and Ambassador Genet Teshome Jirru, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation.
During the meeting, the implementation of decisions from the 8th Joint Commission meeting held on December 8, 2022, was reviewed, and both parties offered constructive recommendations to ensure their effective execution. The agreed minutes covered a broad range of bilateral cooperation, including economic, financial, energy, technological, and transport sectors, with a view to deepening and broadening relations for the benefit of both countries’ peoples. Delegates also welcomed the high level of friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries and reiterated their readiness to strengthen the full spectrum of bilateral relations.
The meeting also welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on bilateral market access for goods and services in the context of Ethiopia’s WTO accession, with the Russian side expressing full support for Ethiopia’s entry into the organization.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Ethiopian delegation visited various Russian companies and met their representatives, including United Company RUSAL, RWB LLC Industrial Park, Gazprommash LLC, Yandex, Daniil Shuleiko, the Russian Foreign Trade Academy, Rusagro Group, and Agrokomplex.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties agreed that the 10th session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission will be held in Ethiopia in 2026.