Ethiopia, Djibouti sign customs transit agreement

November 11, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopian foreign ministry announced today the signing of a customs transit protocol agreement with Djibouti on November 9, 2008.

Djiboutian Economy and Finance Minister, Ali Farah Asowe and the Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti, Shemsedin Ahmed signed an agreement of understanding on facilitating customs procedures in force between the two countries.

In a statement made on this occasion, the Djibouti Minister of Finance stressed the importance of the implementation of this agreement, which is involved in the strategy of both governments in service transit of goods from door to door.
While the Ethiopian Ambassador Shemsedin said the accord would have a significant role to further scale up Ethio-Djibouti bilateral relation.

The agreement aims to make traffic more fluid and unhindered by avoiding delays in the movement of goods in transit in the corridor road djibouto-Ethiopian.

The ambassador said the agreement would also further strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

Since the war with Eritrea 1998, the port of Djibouti became the only significant port for landlocked Ethiopia. Millions of dollars of goods shipping each year through the port to Ethiopia, and more than 30,000 barrels of oil a day are required just to meet Ethiopia’s fuel needs.

(ST)