AMN Plus -March 28/2026
“On the margins of MC14 in Yaoundé, Ethiopia’s delegation, led by Kassahun Gofe Balami(PhD), met with Working Party Chair Ambassador Rebecca Fisher-Lamb to assess progress and discuss next steps in the country’s WTO accession.
Both sides welcomed the strong momentum since the Sixth Working Party Meeting in September 2025, noting Ethiopia’s updated submissions and ongoing reforms. Preparations for the Seventh Working Party Meeting (22–23 April 2026) were reviewed, with Ethiopia reaffirming readiness to resolve the remaining, largely technical, issues.
Progress in bilateral market access negotiations and key regulatory reforms was also highlighted. Both parties underscored the importance of sustained engagement and coordination to finalize the Working Party Report and conclude the accession process in 2026.
The meeting, attended by the WTO Accessions Division led by Maika Oshikawa, ended with a shared commitment to sustained engagement toward concluding Ethiopia’s accession, ” State Minister Ambassador Hadera Abera stated as to Ministry of foreign affairs of Ethiopia reported it.
