2023-11-04 19:33:00
“We have traditionally seen Ethiopia as one of our key trading partners in Africa,” Fiala said, adding that the focus needs to be on more than importing the “legendary Ethiopian coffee.”
“Your country offers many opportunities for cooperation. We have projects here in areas such as water management and healthcare,” said the prime minister, adding that economic cooperation should go hand in hand with development cooperation. On Facebook, Fiala called Ethiopia a beautiful country.
According to the government, Czech hydrologists also make the Czech Republic’s good name in Ethiopiawho have been actively involved here since the 1970s and created, for example, a unique hydrological map of the entire country. “Ethiopia has a significant role in stabilizing the entire region,” Fiala said. According to him, representatives of the Czech defense industry also participate in the forum.
The Czech Prime Minister wanted to propose the establishment of a joint commission for economic cooperation to his Ethiopian counterpart Ahmed. According to the Prime Minister, better cooperation between institutions will facilitate trade.
Cooperation (not only) in the defense industry
After the meeting, Fiala stated that “Czech-Ethiopian relations have almost a century-old tradition and there is certainly something to build on.” He recalled the Czech development aid projects in Ethiopia and announced the expansion of economic cooperation, especially in the defense industry. “The modernization of the L-39 fighter jets that Omnipol is doing here is a good example of what this cooperation can look like,” introduced Fiala on the X network and thanked the Prime Minister for the reception.
President of the Union of Industry and Transport Jan Rafaj presented the Czech Republic to Ethiopian businessmen as a highly industrialized country that is well integrated in the EU market and which has low unemployment. He noted that historically successful companies were founded in the Czech Republic, mentioning Petrof pianos, Bata shoes, Zetor tractors, Linet hospital beds and Pilsen beer. “Czech companies have a lot to offer, they are flexible, innovative and eager for new business,” he said.
“I was welcomed at the Water Museum by the Minister of Water and Energy, Mr. Habtamu Itefa Geleta, and the State Minister of Water, Abraha Adugna,” Fiala described another program in Ethiopia.
Analyst: Weapons will certainly continue to be discussed
Attending a business forum in Addis Ababa, Fiala began his week-long visit to sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to Ethiopia, the prime minister will visit Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
“My government is changing the approach to Africa. It is a continent with great potential for our companies. We want to open the door to the markets there even more for them,” the Prime Minister commented on the trip.
Ondřej Horký-Hlucháň from the Institute of International Relations also confirms for Blesk that it will be about weapons. “The prime minister also included a representative of the defense industry in the delegation, so the emphasis on weapons seems to be much stronger in the case of this trip than in previous ones,” says the analyst.
However, the expert also pointed out the weakness of the Czech approach to Africa. “The state has been giving very little money to development cooperation for a long time. Of the countries (that Fiala will visit – editor’s note), Ethiopia is actually the only one that is a priority, and where the Czech Republic gives money in the order of tens of millions of crowns annually. So we don’t have much to offer the others in terms of development cooperation,” he explains.
Ivory Coast: A relatively prosperous state in the Gulf of Guinea region, which, according to the analyst, has export potential, although not a dizzying one. Fiala and companies will discuss development and opportunities in transport, healthcare, security and defense here.
According to the Czech government, Ghana is one of the five most important trading partners in sub-Saharan Africa. It is supposed to be about the economic and security development of the country. Czech companies can invest there in healthcare, the mining industry or the construction of an energy network. According to Horké-Hluchán, it is a small country, but it is democratic and politically above its league in Africa.
Fial’s flagship stop will be in Nigeria. The country is considered one of the most important in the region. “The Czech Republic exports more than a billion crowns to Nigeria annually. Given how big a country it is, the most populous country in Africa, it’s a huge market that’s really good to target. At the same time, Nigeria is also a very important country from the point of view of diplomacy,” explains Horký-Hlucháň. Key topics are supposed to be cooperation in agricultural technologies, food industry or IT. And also in the field of mining and processing of mineral raw materials. Nigeria also plays an important role in the issues of solving problems in the Sahel region.
Kenya: This country is pro-Western by African standards, which it also expressed in its stance on the war in Ukraine. It is mainly about the development of the defense industry and academic cooperation. However, according to the Government Office, Czech companies can also succeed in the field of the pharmaceutical industry or water management.
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