Friday, June 29, 2018

Ethiopia's Public Diplomacy in Djibouti


Girmachew Gashaw, allafrica.com

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ADDIS ABABA- Ethiopian Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] team (PD) has been visiting Djibouti and discussing various bilateral issues with Djiboutian officials to further strengthen ties between the two sisterly countries.

On Monday, the team, led by Tesfaye Daba, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee met Ismail Omar Guelleh President of the Republic of Djibouti, as to the report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The team expressed that Ethiopia and Djibouti are not only neighbors, but also countries that share long standing relations based on blood ties, brotherhood and family relations as well as culture, language, and religion.

It its expressed its gratitude for the Government of Djibouti for releasing 45 Ethiopian prisoners during the visit of PM Dr. Abiy to Djibouti.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh, appreciated the activity of the Ethiopian Public Diplomacy team as an innovative idea from which Djibouti will learn more. He also complimented to the issues raised by the delegation, the questions for further observation and decision.

Furthermore, the President once again condemned the grenade attack that occurred at the rally in Addis on Saturday.

In a related development, the Ethiopian PD Team also held discussions with Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Ali Yousouf.

The PD Team raised various issues and concerns in the areas of cultural and education cooperation, business and trade cooperation, port service and inter-connectivity and the concerns of the Ethiopian Diaspora in Djibouti.

Foreign Minister Mahmmoud appreciated the new visionary leadership in Ethiopia and noted the recent visit of PM Abiy to Djibouti, which he said, is a demonstration of the ever growing bilateral ties between the two countries.

The speaker of the House, Mohammed Ali Houmed expressed his profound sorrow on the attack that happened on Saturday in Addis Ababa, and extended his condolences on behalf of the people of Djibouti to the families of the victims and "to the entire Ethiopian brotherly people".

PD Team members expressed the importance of exploring potentials of cooperation in all areas, including people-to- people relations that will set the foundation for the Pan-African Solidarity, which Ethiopia and Djibouti as members of the African Union aspire to see in the near future.

Following the meeting at the National Assembly, the PD team visited the Djibouti Ports and Fee Zone Authority Office, Port of Djibouti (PDSA), the Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT) and Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port (DMP).

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