Hornpost
ADDIS ABEBA, (Hornpost) – Djibouti’s Minister of Energy, Yonis Ali Guedi, co-chaired a high-level meeting on Friday in Addis Ababa, alongside Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide, on Friday, in Addis Abeba, on the railway transport project of refined petroleum products between Doraleh Terminal, in Djibouti, and the Awash depots in Ethiopia.
The meeting brought together all the key players in the case, including Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE), Ethio-Djibouti Railway (EDR), as well as the Emirati Group ENOC, a reference shareholder of the HDTL Terminal in Doraleh. Officials of HDTL and HTL companies, the International Hydrocarbon Society of Djibouti (SIHD) and the Djibouti and Ethiopian authorities also took part.
At the center of discussions is the revival of negotiations on trade and technical agreements necessary for the rail of fuel to Ethiopia. The exchanges focused on the project’s financial model, cost structure and tariffs deemed “suitable”, as well as transport safety and increased procurement capacity.
“Securing the transportation of petroleum products and the provision of additional capabilities are essential to meet the needs of the Ethiopian market,” Ahmed Shide emphasized in an opening. Minister Yonis Ali Guedi, on his part, described the project as “structuring and integrating” for two “interdependent” economies, calling for a swift lifting of checkpoints. “Every delay increases the cost of the project. We must act quickly, in the interests of our two nations,” he said.
The officials of EIH and ENOC then discussed the technical and financial feasibility of the initiative. Following “frank and constructive” discussions, the parties agreed to set up a task force to finalize the agreements and accelerate the implementation of this strategic project linking Djibouti and Ethiopia.
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Source: Djibouti News Agency – ADI
Prepared by:
Hornpost staff Reporter
