Jun 07,2012
AMMAN -- Jordan and Ethiopia are expected to sign an agreement on the hiring of domestic helpers during an upcoming visit by the Ethiopian labour minister, Ethiopia's newly appointed Non-resident Ambassador to Jordan Mahmoud Dirir said.
In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, Dirir, who presented his credentials to His Majesty King Abdullah earlier this week, said the draft agreement was currently being finalised and that an Ethiopian delegation would visit the Kingdom soon to discuss cooperation, including the labour sector, with Jordanian officials.
"Jordan has an acceptable social environment which will enable Ethiopians to benefit from working in such a civilised and advanced society that accepts others. We are comfortable with the situation in the Kingdom, where our fellow workers can practise their religious rituals and have chances to visit their relatives," the Cairo-based ambassador said while on a several-day visit to Jordan.
"It was pertinent to visit this beautiful country and to introduce Ethiopia to the government and the private sector. In my next visit I will seek talks with Parliament and the higher education sector in order to explore fields where our countries can benefit and cooperate with each other," Dirir said.
The ambassador said the East African county was currently in talks with Jordan on several issues, including civil aviation, adding that establishing a flight between the two countries would encourage the movement of goods and passengers.
Moreover, Dirir said he had held talks with representatives of the local commercial and industrial sectors, whom he encouraged to take advantage of the incentives his country offers to do business there, adding that Ethiopia has a fast growing market, with 10-11 per cent growth during last decade.
"We are witnessing investments from different parts of the world such as China, Turkey, the EU and the Gulf states. I believe Jordanians have a competitive advantage due to the fact that Jordan has highly qualified mining sector experts and this knowledge could be better utilised in creating a win-win situation," he said.
Furthermore, the diplomat suggested, Jordan's highly advanced medical sector could expand its business by exporting knowledge to African countries, particularly Ethiopia.
© Jordan Times 2012
