On March 17 and 18, 2025, the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry held meetings with a delegation from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, aimed at strengthening economic ties between St. Petersburg and Ethiopia, developing bilateral cooperation in the field of mining and supply of coffee products from Ethiopia.
On March 17, 2025, an informational and protocol meeting was held with the CEO of Black Gold Mining PLC, Ms. Meseret Tsehai. The meeting was attended by President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Katenev, Head of the Department for Control
and Coordination of Foreign Economic Activity Projects of the Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg Dmitry Pavlikov, Assistant to the Honorary Consul of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in St. Petersburg Tatyana Marchenko, Director of the Department of External Relations of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Irina Karpenko, Advisor to the President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Maxim Pimenov, and representatives of Black Gold Mining PLC.
The meeting was opened by President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimir Katenev. He spoke about the areas of activity of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and also noted the importance of strengthening the bilateral partnership of representatives of the business community of St. Petersburg and Ethiopia. "We see great potential in cooperation between our countries, especially in such important sectors as industry, science
and culture. St. Petersburg is a city with a rich history and traditions, and we are ready to share experience and knowledge in order to move forward together. I am confident that our cooperation will open up new horizons for the development of business in both countries and create a solid foundation for long-term partnership,” the President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized.
During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the field of mineral extraction and investment opportunities in this sector of the economy. The meeting ended with an exchange of protocol gifts and a photo session.
After the completion of the official part of the program, a presentation was held by Black Gold Mining PLC, a company engaged in gold, marble and lithium mining in Ethiopia. The delegation, headed by the company's CEO, Ms. Meseret Tsehai, shared information about production capabilities and spoke about strategic plans to expand its presence in the international market.
The company's representatives also held a presentation of potential areas of cooperation, presenting various investment projects in the mining sector to partners from St. Petersburg.
On March 18, 2025, as part of the visit of the delegation from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a presentation of the Meseret Tsehay Import Export company, founded in 2010 and specializing in the export of coffee from Ethiopia, was held at the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The company's CEO, Ms. Meseret Tsehay, spoke about the company's activities, emphasizing the strategic importance of coffee exports from Ethiopia. She drew special attention to the unique characteristics and benefits of coffee grown in Ethiopia, a country that is among the TOP-5 leading coffee suppliers in the world.
A tasting of products was organized for the participants of the event, which allowed them to experience the full range of tastes and aromas of real Ethiopian coffee. This event aroused great interest among Russian importers and owners of cafes and restaurants seeking to expand their product range.
Continuing the business program, the delegation from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia also visited the St. Petersburg Mining University. During the visit, an exchange of experience and a discussion of cooperation prospects in the educational and scientific fields took place. Rector of SPSU Vladimir Litvinenko emphasized the importance of exchanging knowledge and technologies in the field of geology and mining.
The events that took place during the visit of the delegation from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia became an important step in the development of trade and economic relations between St. Petersburg and Ethiopia.
The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry thanks the St. Petersburg Mining University for assistance in organizing and holding the meeting and tour of the University and expresses its readiness to maintain and develop partnerships with colleagues from Ethiopia, contributing to the further strengthening of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
We thank the press service of the St. Petersburg Mining University
for the provided photographs.
