Addis ababa: Malaysia and Ethiopia have announced a commitment to leverage each other’s strengths in trade, investment, and bilateral relations, as well as to engage more effectively on multilateral platforms.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasized the importance of these discussions, stating that diplomatic engagements should ultimately lead to robust economic fundamentals. Anwar, during a joint press conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali, highlighted Malaysia’s objective to expand its market reach, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and other regions.
Ethiopia’s strategic position as the host of the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa presents Malaysia with significant opportunities. The African Union, with 55 member states, acts as a representative voice for Africa on the global stage and works to promote international cooperation.
Anwar, who also serves as Malaysia’s Finance Minister, underscored the importance of using foru
ms like the Group of 20 (G20) to strengthen traditional relationships with major economies such as the United States, Europe, and China. The G20 includes countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the US, the African Union, and the European Union.
Dr Abiy Ahmed described the bilateral discussions as productive and forward-looking, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to deepening cooperation across key sectors. He expressed Ethiopia’s interest in learning from Malaysia’s industrial success and attracting investment in various sectors, including industrial parks, agro-processing, and electronics.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of digital economy collaboration and enhancing skills development to align with industry needs, thereby boosting youth employment in Ethiopia. He acknowledged the potential to learn from Malaysia’s experi
ence in linking skilled youngsters to the industry.
The visit also marked the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in health, an air services agreement, and tourism cooperation. Additionally, a collaboration document between the Kuala Lumpur City Council and Addis Ababa City Administration was exchanged, formalizing a mechanism for maintaining strategic dialogue and paving the way for long-term cooperation.
Present at the ceremony were Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, and Embassy of Malaysia in Ethiopia Chargé d’Affaires (Ad Interim) Mohd Afandi Abu Bakar.
In 2024, Ethiopia was Malaysia’s 26th largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade valued at RM625.6 million, and Malaysian exports at RM579.9 million, marking a 50 percent increase from the previous year. The tra
de balance favored Malaysia, with exports primarily consisting of electrical and electronic products, palm oil, chemical products, and textiles. Imports from Ethiopia included agricultural products, transport equipment, and metalliferous ores and metal scrap.
Anwar’s visit to Ethiopia is the first stop in his tour of the African continent, marking the first visit by a Malaysian Prime Minister to the ‘Horn of Africa.’ His three-day visit, beginning on November 18, is a reciprocal gesture following Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Malaysia last October. Anwar’s itinerary includes a working visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit from November 20 to 23, and a subsequent visit to Nairobi, Kenya, from November 23 to 24, before returning home.