Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir said Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to forge closer ties and bolster cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural areas.
By Seleshi Tessema (Anadolu Agency) |
Ethiopia and Sudan on Tuesday agreed to launch a free trade zone, a railway line and to promote equitable use of the water of the Nile.
The announcement came at joint press conference following a meeting between the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
President Omar Al-Bashir, who is on a three-day visit to the eastern African country, said the two countries agreed to forge closer ties and bolster cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural areas.
“The security of Sudan and Ethiopia are the existential foundation of both countries. Therefore, we will coordinate our security, police and army to maintain peace and stability in both countries,” President Omar Al-Bashir said.
Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, for his part, said that the two countries “will launch very soon a free economic zone”.
“A new railway line will also be built between the two countries,” he added.
According to a joint press statement issued on the occasion, the two countries also “appreciated the existing understanding and cooperation and coordination between them on equitable use of the waters of the Nile and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)”.
Sudan supports Ethiopia in the latter’s multibillion dollar dam project that will generate 6000MW electricity upon completion. Egypt has been apprehensive of the dam which it fears will minimize water flowing downstream.
Relations between Egypt and Sudan have also come under strain recently, as both claim ownership of the Halaib Triangle region, located in the borderland between the two neighbors.
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