His Excellency Kassahun Gofe Balami (PhD) is a distinguished statesman and author currentlynserving as the Minister of Trade and Regional Integration and a Cabinet member of the Federal Democratic Republic ofn Ethiopia. He is the author of Beyond Commodities: Cultivating Competitiveness, Diversified Export. Dr. Kassahun earned his PhD in Urban, Regional, and Local Development Studies from Addis Ababa University, where he is also an Assistant Professor. His scholarly contributions include three published articles in reputable journals focusing on the complexities of export trade.
Dr. Kassahun has an extensive career in public service, holding significant executive roles, including State Minister in the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction, and the Government Communication Affairs Office. He has also served as the General Director of the Oromia Revenue Authority, Deputy Mayor of Adama City Administration, and Deputy Bureau Head at the Construction Bureau of Oromia.
In addition to his public service, he holds influential positions within the Prosperity Party, serving as a member of the Central Committee and of the regional council (Caffee Oromia). He previously headed party organizational affairs at the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) Secretariat.
Dr. Kassahun’s governance roles extend to key leadership positions, including Chairman of the Board of Directors for institutions such as the Ethiopian Trading Business Corporation, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), and Raya University. He also serves as a board member of the Ethiopia Investment Commission, the Ethiopian Digital Council, and the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Executive Committee.
As the Chief Negotiator for Ethiopia in bilateral, regional, and WTO accession negotiations, Dr. Kassahun has introduced fresh strategic leadership, successfully guiding his team to the 5 th and 6 th Working Party meetings for WTO accession in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2025.
Dr. Kassahun has a proven track record of outstanding leadership, decisive action, and efficient delivery of ipactful results. Since taking office as Minister, he has been instrumental in significantly improving institutional capaity, quality infrastructure, export trade performance, online trade services, and e-commerce, generating immense benefits for the national economy.