ADDIS ABABA – Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki have exchanged views in how scaling up the two countries partnership in bilateral and regional issues of mutual importance in their deliberation in Asmara over the weekend.
President Isaias Afwerki accorded warm welcome to the Prime Minister Abiy and his delegation at Asmara International Airport. The two leaders would discuss ways and means of further consolidating the warm bilateral ties between the two countries as well as enhancement of regional cooperation, he stated.
Ethiopia’s high-level delegation led by Primer Abiy returned home after completing a two-day fruitful working visit to Eritrea and held discussions with President Isaias and other senior government officials from Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Eritrean Information Minister, Yemane Gebremeskel twitted that Prime Minster Dr. Abiy and President Isaias reviewed the progress achieved and obstacles encountered in the past two years in the implementation of the historic Declaration of Peace and Friendship agreement signed between the two countries in July 2018.
The leaders agreed to further bolster the two countries prevailing and all-rounded cooperation. They also expressed conviction to work together to enhance regional cooperation in the Horn of Africa firmly aware its pivotal importance for nurturing robust ties anchored on mutual complementarity.
Yemane stated that PM Abiy and his delegation toured agricultural development projects and infrastructural developments in the environs of Kerkebet Dam in Gash-Barka Region of South West Eritrea accompanied by President Isaias and other senior government officials.
Ethiopia’s delegation also inspected graduation-parade rehearsals of the 33rd Round of the National Service at Sawa Defense Training Center during their stop-over at Sawa Airport in Gash- Barka Region.
Relations between the neighboring countries were restored in June 2018 after two decades of mistrust and tensions. They fought a bloody war from 1998 to 2000 that claimed around 70,000 lives. Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for leading efforts to normalize Ethiopia and Eritrea’s ties and for making regional peace a priority.
The Ethiopian Herald July 25, 2020
BY HAILE DEMEKE
