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India, Ethiopia have distinct similarities, says envoy

Special Correspondent

Incentives available for potential investors: Gennet Zewide

— Photo: By Special Arrangement

WOOING INVESTORS: Ambassador of Ethiopia Gennet Zewide (left) addressing a meeting of officials of the PIPDIC during her visit to Puducherry on Saturday. Industries Minister V. Vaithilingam (to her left) is also in the picture.

Puducherry: Ambassador of Ethiopia to India Gennet Zewide said that agriculture was the base occupation of Ethiopia and 46 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country was from that sector.

Addressing a meeting organised by the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC), Ms. Gennet Zewide said that her country accorded priority to textiles, construction, agro-processing and pharmaceutical industries and of late floriculture development. Incentives were available from her Government for those seeking to invest in these areas.

Health and Medicine were accorded priority, as they were essential to ensure elimination of diseases. The Ambassador said that there were distinct similarities between India and her country from the points of tradition and culture. India was registering an amazing development in economic front recently. She said that her country was looking for partnership in developmental activities and wanted to attract Indians to invest in various key sectors in Ethiopia. Visit to Puducherry was to popularise Ethiopia, she noted

She visited a good number of education and medical institutions here and hoped that there could be close rapport between Ethiopia and Puducherry. She said around 89 per cent of the children was now enrolled in schools in her country. There were a number of government-run universities and colleges besides privately-sponsored institutions there. Infrastructure development was another area, where Ethiopia was making a mark. Road development was such that all districts were connected to highways in Ethiopia. Her country had recruited professors from India for universities and higher educational institutions there.

The Industries Minister, V. Vaithilingam, who accompanied her, said that an official team would be formed to tap the potential for investment in Ethiopia. Similarly, there would also be exchange of students between Ethiopia and Puducherry. An Indo-Ethiopia Friendship Society had also been formed for the Southern region and Puducherry would be part of it. Earlier the Managing Director of PIPDIC Rattan Singh made a power-point presentation explaining various schemes and industrial and IT policies the Corporation had evolved to encourage industrialisation here.

Secretary to Department of Industries T.M. Balakrishnan was also present. The Ethopian Ambassador earlier had a courtesy meeting with the Lt. Governor, the Chief Minister and the Education Minister.

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