Addis Ababa May 04/2014 Ethiopia and China here today signed a number of agreements, which are expected to deepen the bilateral cooperation. Various ministers from both sides signed the agreements at the National Palace.
The two sides have signed 16 accords including loan agreements to support the Welkait Sugar Factory and Dire Dawa -Dewele road, among others.
The cooperation focuses on rapid industrialization, infrastructure, energy sector, improvements of peoples’ livelihoods, people to people exchange and science and technology, among others.
After the signing, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the two parties have agreed on enhancing Ethiopia’s industrialization and Ethiopia’s vision to become Africa’s manufacturing powerhouse.
The Premier said Ethiopia- China relation is strategic and based on mutual interest and benefit and they have enjoyed strong diplomatic and economic relation. As the largest developing economy, China has enormous potential to support Africa’s development, the Premier said.
The Premier said the relationship is mutual and continue to be like this saying "Our relationship is a strategic relationship. It is not only for one year to year or some years only. It is growing from time to time... We want to expand this relationship."
As China is the largest developing economy and Ethiopia is one of the fastest, the two countries have a lot of issues to share and work on, according to him.
"In this regard we consider that we have a common destiny and we work for this common destiny for the benefit and prosperity of our people."
Hailemariam believes that the visit of the Chinese Premier will strengthen and take the relationship between the two countries to a higher level. The Premier affirmed that the two parties will continue on strengthening this relationship for the future.
Ethiopia is keen to learn from China’s experience in multiple economic fields in particular in manufacturing and export promotion sector and infrastructure development,
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on his part asserted that the cooperation between China and Ethiopia forged for enhancing development.
The cooperation between the two countries will continue to extend concrete benefit to the people of the two sides, said the Premier.
He said China is happy to see continuous, solid and fast progress in Ethiopia along its path of development and even greater achievements in poverty alleviation.
The Premier said China and Africa are partners towards development and growth."We are partners in pursuit of development."
The pursuit of common development between the two sides will bring benefits to both sides and will also help safeguard interests of all developing countries and help promote inclusive growth in a large scale, the Chinese Premier said.
According to Li, using creative ways is needed in enhancing the China-Africa cooperation, in a bid to contribute to the employment and protection of biodiversity and eco environment in Africa.
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