Director-General of African Affairs at Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need for strengthening of Ethio-Kenyan relationship

The newly appointed Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia George Kwanya recalled that the two East African countries enjoy excellent relations that go back many decades, as evidenced by numerous agreements in the fields of education, health, transport, among others.

He specified that this bond has been further strengthened by the Special Status Agreement signed in 2012 and numerous ongoing projects such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia transport corridor.

He said the exchange of high-level visits between the leaders of the two countries provides an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the existing relations. This is reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Referring to the Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Ministerial Commission meeting held last month in the capital, he noted the signing of several bilateral agreements which he hoped would guarantee effective implementation of commitments.

He also recalled that the meeting identified areas of co-operation in energy, transport, agriculture, industry and tourism. "We share a common border, and our people share common languages and cultural practices, fostering frequent exchanges," he added.

On his part, the Director-General of African Affairs at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fiseha Shawol stressed the need for strengthening of the Ethio-Kenyan relationship.

"For us, the relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya is the most diverse and biggest in Africa. And there are about 36 agreements in place, with several areas of cooperation," Ambassador Shawol stated.

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