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Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed visits Eritrean ports

Wednesday September 05 2018
Abiy

President Isaias Afeworki (in white) welcoming Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on arrival to Eritrea on September 5, 2018. PHOTO | ETHIOPIAN MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

By ANDUALEM SISAY

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Wednesday toured the Eritrean ports of Assab and Massawa, which are set to serve his country again.

The visit was Mr Abiy’s second official one to Eritrea since taking office five months ago.

Eritrean Information minister Yemane Gebremeskel announced the tour later in a Twitter message.

Warm welcome

“Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his delegation were accorded warm welcome by President Isaias Afeworki when they arrived at Assab Airport this morning on a stop-over, two-day, visit to Eritrea on their way back home from the FOCAC Summit in Beijing,” he wrote.

“PM Abiy Ahmed expressed deep appreciation of ongoing preparatory work by the Eritrean Government to enhance Port services & related road infrastructure.

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“Progress in this component augurs well for efforts of both sides to ensure full implementation of all five pillars of the Agreement,” he wrote further.

Assab was the major port Ethiopia used for its import and export trade before the two countries went to war in 1998. Ethiopia then turned to the Port of Djibouti for about 20 years during the period of hostilities.

Tripartite meeting

Following the recent restoration of diplomatic relations between the two neighbours, both Assab and Massawa were undergoing renovation to serve Ethiopia again.

Mr Abiy also inspected one of roads now under renovation, which links Assab with Bure town of Ethiopia.

He was also expected to attend a tripartite meeting of Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea in Asmara before his departure to Addis Ababa.

 

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