The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, Ethiopian and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNICTAD) concluded a technical cooperation agreement on 7 February 2013. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the purpose of the agreement is to cooperate in devising a strategy and transformation study of the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise.

The MoFA said in a statement, the Government of Ethiopia is taking comprehensive reform measures to transform the Enterprise with advanced shipping and logistics management and operations system to create competitive, efficient, and reliable shipping, logistics port and terminal services and the UNCTAD will provide technical assistance in this endeavor.

Ambassador Menelik Alemu, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the UN in Geneva signed the agreement. The agreement will run from March 2013 to December 2013, according to the statement.