Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, has shown earliest signs that he wants to put an end to Addis Ababa’s aloofness and invite foreign companies to invest in the country.

PM Hailemariam on his fourth foreign visit since taking over power in September after the death of his predecessor the late PM Meles Zenawi, signed a deal lifting domestic restrictions on investors from Kenya.

After hampering attempts to open up to duty-free goods from across the Eastern and Southern Africa region, Kenya, Ethiopia’s Southern neighbour, is on course to become the next big beneficiary of Addis Ababa’s policy of opening up to foreign businesses. Analysts in Kenya believe that this is a sign of a rapid change in Addis Ababa’s stance towards its neighbour.

PM Hailemariam flew into Kampala, Uganda, on his second visit since becoming prime minister.  He also attended a Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

It is understood that under the late PM Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia, had only had a policy of trade “rapprochement” with Sudan from where it gets most of its oil.

Currently Ethiopia has been negotiating its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). But the country was unwilling to open up telecommunication and banking. However, this has changed after South Sudan’s secession referendum last year.

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