Ethiopia has reiterated its commitment to advancing accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO), with officials signaling renewed momentum in the country’s long-delayed membership process.
On the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hadera Abera met with Maika Oshikawa, Director of the WTO’s Accessions Division, to discuss Ethiopia’s roadmap toward membership.
According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks focused on the country’s progress in bilateral negotiations and the importance of sustaining constructive dialogue with key partners. Hadera reaffirmed Addis Ababa’s determination to finalize market access arrangements with trading partners and underscored the government’s broader economic reform agenda.
The Ethiopian side also urged the WTO Secretariat to enhance technical and institutional support for the accession process. In response, Oshikawa reportedly commended Ethiopia’s commitment and pledged that the Secretariat would provide the necessary backing to facilitate its entry into the global trade body.
While Addis Ababa has repeatedly expressed its determination to join the WTO, the process has been stalled for decades amid structural economic challenges, domestic instability, and slow-moving reforms. Independent confirmation of the latest discussions from the WTO has not yet been issued.
If successful, Ethiopia’s accession would mark a significant step in integrating one of Africa’s most populous nations more deeply into the global economy.
