. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to visit Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA- United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ethiopia share common vision in achieving lasting peace and sustainable development in the Horn of Africa and Gulf regions, UAE Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mohammed Salem Al-Rashidi said. Ambassador Mohammed further indicated that Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE’s Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan would make his second visit to Ethiopia soon.
The ambassador told The Ethiopian Herald that it is the desire of UAE and Ethiopia to the consolidation of tolerance, dialogue and coexistencein the two adjacent regions taking into account their intertwined fate. Noting UAE’s keen interest to promote and support global peace and stability efforts, he said that within this aim the country helped to achieve peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea. “UAE sees Ethiopia become a starting point for peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and the Ethiopian – Eritrean rapprochement has also become a model for other countries in the region.”
He pointed out that the recent high-level exchange visits made between Ethiopia and UAE have been playing vital role in consolidating the two countries multifaceted relations and the UAE was one of the first countries that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited in May 2018, shortly after taking office in April.
The visit Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made to Ethiopia last June has also contributed to advancing and expanding of cooperation which serve the common interests of the two countries, the ambassador said, adding that Crown Prince to be on state visit to Ethiopia for second time.
“The relations between Ethiopia and UAE witnessed remarkable progress over the past years, especially with the exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries, signing of a number of agreements and the great interest shown by Emirati companies to invest in Ethiopia.”
According to him, the launch of La Gare Downtown Project in Addis Ababa, which is a comprehensive development including the biggest mall in Africa, apartments, schools, among other is UAE’s unique investment that would create a new city within the city of Addis Ababa. That is in addition to expanding of cooperation in new areas such as education and health.
Besides UAE is among the leading source of FDI and main export destinations for Ethiopia, it is also being a strategic partner of development endeavors of the East African nation. UAE charitable institutions play a prominent role in Ethiopia’s development through running several humanitarian and development programs.
Ambassador Mohammed stated that numerous humanitarian projects are being implemented, including the opening of modern schools in Addis Ababa by Al Maktoum Foundation in the view to supplementing Ethiopia’s goal of providing quality education. The UAE Red Crescent is executing a number of projects in Ethiopia and it drilled 60 wells in five states to provide potable water to over half a million people. The Red Crescent is also building four schools and a maternity and child care hospital in Bale Zone of Oromia State, he elaborated. The multifaceted relations between the two countries boomed after UAE opened its embassy in Ethiopia in 2010.
The Ethiopian Herald April 9, 2019
BY BILAL DERSO
