Ethiopia, South Sudan agree to enhance border areas cooperation
June 7, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia and southern Sudan signed a cooperation agreement in order to promote transport, education and economic development in the border areas.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin held talks on Saturday with Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the minister for Regional Cooperation in the government of South Sudan.
Ethiopia and southern Sudan government have signed memorandum of understanding that would enable them to further strengthening their relation and to augment the border development cooperation, Mesfin announced Saturday.
Addressing the Ethio-South Sudan consultation forum held in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian top diplomat said relations with the semi-autonomous southern Sudan would further be strengthened in areas of education, transport and capacity, among others.
Presidents of the neighboring regions of both countries, representatives of various sector offices are in attendance at the meeting.
Seyoum said South Sudan Ethiopian neighboring regions have common culture and values. Ensuring peace and stability in the border area should be the prime issue of the two nations, he said.
Barnaba Marial Benjamin on his part said Ethiopia and South Sudan relations has laid a firm foundation since the comprehensive peace agreement signed between the two sides.
GoSS minister said the South Sudan has long borderline with Ethiopia that enable them to work closely in social and economic arena.
He said positive changes have been witnessed in technical, economic and social as well as in cultural cooperation.
In December 2007, Ethiopian minister of Work and Urban Development, Kassu Ilala and South Sudanese ministers of Transport and Roads, David Deng Athorbei, singed two agreements.
The first agreement enables Ethiopia to provide technical support and share experiences with South Sudan in the stated sectors besides provision of capacity building activities in education, telecommunication, agriculture, and animal breeding sectors.
The second agreement which related to cooperation in the transport sector enables to link South Sudan and Ethiopia with roads and enable the two countries to enhance cooperation in housing development sector besides exchanging experiences in rehabilitating southern Sudan.
(ST)