The Ethiopian-German Business Conference is to be held in Cologne Germany on the 6th of July. The conference aims to concentrate on marketing German goods in Ethiopia, enhancing networking opportunities between Ethiopian and German business and the effective use of innovative German products on the Ethiopian market.

The conference also hopes to create a positive image about Ethiopia and promote the range of investment opportunities available as well as working to enhance the relationship between the two countries.

Gunter Nokkie, the G8 Representative of Africa for the German Chancellor and Tadesse Haile, Ethiopian State Minister of Industry are both expected to the attend the conference which will be the first of its kind to held in Germany.

The low rate of German representation on the Ethiopian market is surprising and disappointing according to Estifanos Samuel Chairman of the Board of the Ethio-German Forum.

There are several opportunities including solar, geothermal and wind energy open to German expertise and a means to encourage investment could be to attract Germans of Ethiopian origin to invest in Ethiopia it was said.

The potential for German products on the Ethiopian markets is significantly affected by price undercutting by other countries noted Markos Lemma, a representative of GIZ.

Areas such as agriculture as well as renewable energy which maybe attractive to German investors will be raised at the conference to held later on this year alongside the potential of using German technology to support Ethiopian plans to export power to neighboring countries.

Source: Capital