Sunday, July 9, 2017

Ethiopia to pay Public Diplomacy visit to Djibouti


capitalethiopia.com

image from article

Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Group will officially visit Djibouti in the next few weeks to continue strengthening integration and work on creating greater ties between citizens of the two nations.


Ambassador Mohamed Idriss Farah, Djibouti’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the AU, said that “the two countries are working together in economic sectors so, now the object is to connect our two people,” he added
“Ethiopian citizens don’t really know their neighbors from Djibouti. This is my job now, to connect the people,” he told Capital.
The embassy celebrated Djibouti’s 40th anniversary of independence at Sheraton Addis on June 27, in the presence of diplomatic community based in Ethiopia and Ethiopian government officials.
Hirut Zemene, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, who attended the ceremony, told Capital that the relationship between the two nations can inspire the continent as they support each other so much economically and socially. She elaborated that Djibouti is a major outlet for Ethiopia and Ethiopia is providing electricity, fruits and vegetables for Djibouti.
The recently accomplished modern electrified railway project will improve things even more.

“We have an excellent relationship with Djibouti. A lot of Ethiopians are living in Djibouti and several Djiboutian students are studying in Ethiopia,” Hirut added.
She said that the Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Group will visit Djibouti in the near future to strengthen people to people relationships.
Recently the Public Diplomacy Group had paid visit to Sudan and Egypt.
According to Ambassador Farah, Kuriftu Resort & Spa, has already invested in an island of Djibouti. “This is the first step and we need to strengthen our relation in terms of tourism as well. When people come for holidays to Ethiopia, we want them to stopover and visit Djibouti’s waters as well. It is important to connect the tourism sector between the two nations,” he added.
Now the two nations are connected via electricity and rail. And a tap water project is nearly completed. “It was inaugurated 10km east of the Ethiopian border at Ali Sabieh last week but the official inauguration will take place this month in the presence of top government officials in Djibouti,” Ambassador Mohamed Idriss Farah said.
“We thank Ethiopia every day for the water,” he said appreciatively.
There is another electric line that will connect the two countries in the northern west part of Djibouti, Ambassador Farah said, adding that finance has already been secured for the project.

In relation to its 40th anniversary the country has inaugurated mega projects focusing on social and economic development.
One of the projects inaugurated recently is the Port of Tadjourah on the northern edge of the Gulf of Tadjourah.
The multipurpose port mainly handles potash exports from Ethiopia, but it has the capacity of managing other cargo traveling to the northern and northeastern part of Ethiopia as well.
Roba Megerssa, CEO of Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise, recently told Capital that his enterprise will use the port adding that they need more modern roads constructed.
“The port is strategically important to Ethiopia because the country wants to use a variety of ports,” Roba added.
Ambassador Farah said that the government of Djibouti is working on a 112km asphalt road connecting the Port of Tadjourah to Balho, a Djibouti border town and then to Ethiopia.

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