By Shaimaa Elise and Nehal Mounir
Egypt and Ethiopia held a series of meetings to discuss carrying out energy, telecommunications and infrastructure projects, according to Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mohammed Ahmed Chayed.
On the sidelines of the second day of the Egyptian-Ethiopian business forum, Chayed told Daily News Egypt that Egyptian-Ethiopian trade relations are small compared to the importance of economic relations between the two countries.
Chayed said the historic Egyptian-Ethiopian relations are not affected by political tensions between the two countries, following the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis.
He stressed the need for removing economic barriers between the two countries, which is exemplified in the difficulty in opening documentary credit and political unrest.
Trade exchange between Egypt and Ethiopia amounted to $35m, divided into $9.7m for total Egyptian imports and $25m for exports. The trade balance amounted to $15.3m, according to Trade Agreements Sector (TAS) at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.