This archive report was first published on 2 January 2020.
On January 2, 2020, high-level officials from Ethiopia and Sudan met to discuss port service and utilization, marking a significant step towards strengthening cooperation between the two landlocked nations.
The meeting, attended by Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges and Sudan's Undersecretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Omar Ahmed Mohammed, aimed to explore ways to enhance Ethiopia's access to ports.
As part of their cooperation, Sudan's Sea Port Corporation has agreed to provide necessary support for Ethiopia to use the Ports of Sudan for its import-export commodities, according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).
The Sudanese Sea Port Corporation will also offer back-office services to the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Service Enterprise (ESLSE) to facilitate the import of fertilizer, which is expected to be delivered shortly.
Furthermore, the two countries have agreed to establish a technical committee to smooth the progress of port service and implement a 2003 pledge by the Sudanese government to offer 875,000 square meters of land near Port Sudan for Ethiopian logistics services.
With Ethiopia's population nearing 100 million people and a growing economy, the desire to use the two ports has been a long-standing goal for the Ethiopian government.
