The Netherlands praises Ethio-Dutch trade and investment relations

Thursday, 05 May 2011

Addis Ababa, May 5, 2011(WIC) – The Dutch Embassy in Ethiopia praised the fast growing of trade and investment relations between Ethiopia and the Netherlands since 2004.
 
Ambassador Hans Blankenberg, Dutch ambassador in Ethiopia, told WIC that Ethiopia exports to the Netherlands about 150 million euros and it imports from the Netherlands about half that figure.
 
Ethiopian is the second largest supplier of flowers to the Dutch market, the ambassador remarked, adding that the trade relation has grown considerably due to Dutch’s huge involvement in the horticulture.
 
According to the ambassador, about 300 Dutch or Dutch-affiliated companies with an investment capital of over 5 billion birr are licensed with the Federal Investment Agency.
 
The Dutch investors invest in horticulture, eco-tourism, solar energy, animal feed, poultry, food processing and cosmetics, the ambassador said, adding that the Dutch Government is very keen to promote investment ventures in Ethiopia by sponsoring investment, trade missions `and ‘matchmaking’ activities.
 
According to the ambassador the Netherlands facilitated grants to innovative investments in developing countries in which Ethiopia is one of the highest beneficiaries of this Private Sector Initiative Program.
 
Fifty joint ventures were established in Ethiopia with investing capital of more than 100 million euros in the past six years, he said.
 
Dutch’s effort to promote investments in Ethiopia is not only to promote exports to Dutch’s market but supporting Ethiopia to develop production for other markets, the ambassador remarked.
 
Ethiopia and the Netherlands have long-standing trade relations dating back to the 17th century when the Dutch began importing Ethiopian coffee to Europe.
source Waltainfo.com