ADDIS ABABA (Shabait.com) – Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, PhD, laid the foundation stone, on 26 December 2019, for the new Eritrean Embassy building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described the occasion as “Christmas gift to the people and Government of the people of Ethiopia to the people and Government of Eritrea”. Prime Minister Abiy also expressed readiness in 2020 to strengthen cooperation with Eritrea in all sectors.
President Isaias Afwerki on his part expressed gratitude for the hospitality accorded to his delegation and reiterated Eritrea’s resolute decision to work with requisite vigor to recoup lost opportunities by three generation to bolster new chapter of cooperation between the two countries.
President Isaias also wished a Happy New Year to the people and Government of Ethiopia.
The occasion was attended by Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gedu Andargachew, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, senior officials of the two countries and Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, Mr. Takele Uma, as well as invited guests.
Meanwhile, President Isaias and his delegation accompanied by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed visited Adama City, Oromia Region, and the industrial park there as well as agricultural and industrial projects in Bishoftu and Dukem towns.
President Isaias was in Ethiopia for a two-day visit since Wednesday (25 December) – which is his first visit since Prime Minister Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive initiative, since July 2018, to resolve the border conflict with Eritrea, which resulted a border war in 1998-2000. Prime Minister Abiy commended Eritrea’s President as equal contributor to the continued efforts to resolve the border conflict. Since July 2018, the two leaders exchanged numerous visits and signed what has been termed as the Asmara Declaration — a cooperative framework that also saw the commencement of air travels, telephone service, as well as the reopening of embassies in Ethiopia as well as Eritrea’s capitals, Addis Ababa and Asmara, respectively. While the Eritrean Embassy is yet to be opened, the Ethiopian Embassy in Asmara was opened in September 2018.
Source: Shabait.com & Semonegna.com