Ethiopia has reaffirmed its commitment to regional economic integration, saying closer cooperation is essential to improving trade and connectivity across the Horn of Africa.
State Minister of Trade and Regional Integration Tazer Gebregziabher said Ethiopia regarded regional integration as a central part of its development strategy.
Speaking at the Horn of Africa Initiative Trade Ministers Meeting in Addis Ababa, Mr Tazer said Ethiopia had been working with neighbouring countries and international partners to mobilise resources for regional trade corridors and infrastructure designed to facilitate commerce.
“We have placed regional integration at the centre of our development strategy and have worked closely with our neighbours and partners to mobilise substantial resources for regional corridors and trade facilitating infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Tazer said Ethiopia was committed to playing a constructive role in advancing dialogue, aligning policies and sharing experiences among participating countries.
He said the country’s Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda was closely linked to its regional integration efforts, with the aim of creating a more open and competitive economy capable of connecting more effectively with regional and global markets.
“Our reforms aim to create a more open, predictable, and competitive economy that can better integrate with regional and global markets,” he said.
Ethiopia has taken steps to improve its business environment, modernise customs and trade systems and strengthen key institutions, Mr Tazer said.
The government is also preparing for accession to the World Trade Organization, a move he said would further strengthen transparency and rules-based trade.
“We are also investing in strategic transport and logistics corridors that serve not only Ethiopia, but the wider region,” he said.
Mr Tazer said Ethiopia’s domestic economic reforms were intended to complement its regional commitments and contribute to wider economic integration across the Horn of Africa.
‘No single government can act alone’
Somalia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry and chair of the meeting, Gamal Mohamed Hassan, said the Horn occupied a strategically important position in Africa’s trading network.
The region links the African interior with the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, while lying along major maritime routes connecting Europe and Asia, he said.
But Mr Gamal said the region’s economic performance did not yet reflect its geographical advantages.
“Our regional economy does not reflect that geography. That’s the gap this initiative must help us close,” he said.
He highlighted Somalia’s efforts to modernise customs systems, simplify trade procedures and improve conditions for small-scale cross-border traders.
Mr Gamal said stronger regional integration was essential if countries were to realise the Horn’s economic potential.
“A corridor is not one country’s asset; it depends on every jurisdiction through which goods must move. No single government can make a regional corridor efficient by acting alone,” he said.
Focus on trade and connectivity
The Horn of Africa Initiative Trade Ministers Meeting is aimed at accelerating implementation of the region’s trade agenda, building on analytical work and consultations with stakeholders carried out since 2020.
The meeting comes as countries across the Horn seek to strengthen trade connectivity, improve the efficiency of transport corridors and deepen regional economic integration.
The initiative’s discussions are focused on translating the region’s strategic geographical position into practical economic benefits through closer policy coordination, improved infrastructure and more efficient cross-border trade.
