The Alternate Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic of Greece Prof. George Katrougalos accompanied by a business delegation will arrive in Addis Ababa on 26 March 2018 for official state visit, the Greek Embassy in Addis Ababa told The Ethiopian Herald.
During an exclusive interview yesterday at his office, Ambassador Nikolas Hiri Patakias said that the visit is aimed at strengthening the century old relations between Ethiopia and Greece to a higher level.
The Ambassador said that Alternate Foreign Minister will sign a very beneficial bilateral agreement with the Ethiopian side which offers job opportunities to Ethiopians aboard Greece Vessels with his Ethiopian Counterpart Dr. Aklilu Hailemichael.
That is an agreement giving the opportunity to young Ethiopian seafarers to work on board 4.184 vessels belonging to the Greek merchant marine, he said adding that this complies fully with the spirit of 2017 official primordial goal for Ethiopia and the whole of Africa, which was to promote employment for the youth.
“Moreover, this agreement is literally a gift from the Hellenic people to our Ethiopian brothers, because we are demanding nothing in exchange for it.”
In the last two centuries, thousands of Greeks most of them being merchants came to Ethiopia, established pioneering businesses here, contributing to Ethiopia’s progress in sectors such as coffee business, insurance, flour mills, tourism, construction, super markets, water and sewage treatment, airport services and energy, according to the Ambassador.
He underlined that in the quest to make the brotherhood more tangible, a bilateral agreement entitled “Understanding concerning the recognition of training and certification of seafarers for service on board vessels registered in the Hellenic Republic is being done according to the International Convention on Standards of training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers, signed in 1978.
The Trade volume between the two countries was only 12 million Euros in 2013 which grew up close to two folds,22.5 million Euros in 2016 and is expected to increase even faster in 2018 and 2019, he expressed hope.
Appreciating Ethiopia’s participation in the peace and stability in the horn of Africa the Ambassador went on to say that Ethiopia is doing its best to promote peace and security in the region.
Ethiopia’s actions are highly commendable when it comes to peace and stability, he praised. “The same goes for Ethiopia’s leadership role in the regional bloc, (Inter Governmental Authority on Drought) IGAD.”
Ethiopia is a pacifying power in the region, he described.
The Greek view is that Ethiopia will stay united with its over 85 ethnic groups which are sources of its strength, according to him.
“One of the best qualities of Ethiopia is in accommodating these diversities.”