. Premier Abiy to visit Israel tomorrow
ADDIS ABABA – The recent high-level visits and consultations between Ethiopia and Israeli leaders have played vital role in seeking new areas of cooperation and furthering relations, according to Israeli Ambassador to Ethiopia, Raphael Morav.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Ambassador Morav stated that the visit Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin made to Ethiopia in May 2018 was fruitful in consolidating the two countries’ strong partnership in various fields. The President’s visit also created an opportunity to discuss various issues with the high-level Ethiopian officials including Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
“The exchange visits would bring in economic benefits aside from political outcomes,” the Ambassador said, adding that a big Israeli business delegation accompanied by President Rivlin Got was ample opportunity to explore Ethiopia’s business prospects and discussed on ways of joint ventures in various sectors.
Similarly, the President’s visit was highly beneficial to Israel-based NGOs, which were also part of the delegation, to seek ways to operate in Ethiopia in humanitarian and cooperation fields. “As a manifestation of the good relationship, the people and governments of the two countries have been enjoying, Ethiopian high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed is expected to pay official visit to the State of Israel starting from tomorrow, September 1, 2019.”
According to Ambassador Morav, the Ethiopian delegation also consists of ministers of Defense and Innovation and Technology as well as Finance State Minister and Ethiopian Investment Commissioner. The delegation set to discuss the political and economic cooperation of the two countries with high officials of Israel.
The frequent visits between Ethiopia and Israel is the manifestation for the two governments’ desire to further consolidate the long-lasting and strong diplomatic and people-to-people ties in business and other arenas, he added.
Concerning the people-to-people ties, the Ambassador pointed out that a large Ethiopian Jewish community, estimated up to 150,000 are living and working in Israel. And, they are serving as a bridge between the two countries through paying frequent visits to their places of birth and engaged in various business activities.
Israeli tourists are aware of Ethiopia’s enormous potential for leisure and commercial tourism and its favorable climate for vacation industry and they have become among the leading visitors of its famous historical, cultural and natural tourist attraction sites, the Ambassador remarked.
The relationship between Ethiopia and Israel dates back over 3,000 years and the latter is among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Ethiopia and opened its embassy in Addis Ababa in 1963.
The Ethiopian Herald, August 31/2019
BY BILAL DERSO
Photo:- Dagne Abera
