Ethiopia, Sudan sign series of cooperation agreements
April 22, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia and Sudan on Wednesday concluded their two-day high level joint commission meeting by the signing a number of agreements.
Some of the cooperation agreements signed today after the end of the two-day Ethiopia-Sudan Second High-Level Joint Commission Meeting includes – trade exchange, the production of natural glue, and forest development and protection agreements.
The two countries have also signed memorandum of understandings on quality and standard control, and human resource exchange.
They have also signed principle of implementation on culture and tourism, youth and sports, health, higher level education and science research sectors.
The agreements were signed by the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Minister Seyoum Mesfin and Sudanese International Cooperation Minister Al-Tigani Salih Fidail; the Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor, is in The Hague where he attends the oral pleadings of the Abyei arbitration court.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir have witnessed the signing ceremony.
Mean while, following the end of the joint meeting, president Bashir along with his delegations flew to the northern Tigray region to meet regional officials and also for a prayer at the historic AL-Negash mosque, located some 70kms north to the regional capital, Mekelle.
Up on arrival at Mekelle’s ALULA ABA NEGA airport Al-Bashir was warmly welcomed by regional president Tsegay Berhe, state council members, religious leaders and community leaders.
In a dinner invitation at Mekelle’s Axum hotel state president Tsegay Berhe said that the people and regional government of Tigray are proud and honored to host the Sudanese delegation.
Tsegay added that agreements reached at the joint meeting between both countries will further enhance and consolidate the existing excellent relation of Sudan and Ethiopia and he said his region will be committed to implement these agreements.
“I would like to assure your Excellency that as one of the adjacent regions of Ethiopia along the common border between our two sisterly countries, the regional state of Tigray will assume any and all of its responsibility to implement the decisions of the Higher Level Joint Commission summit meeting you have concluded,” Tsegay said
“We in Tigray have exemplary relations with the eastern areas of Sudan particularly with Kassala and Gadarif states in promoting trade and people to people links.”
“We highly value our longstanding co-operation, and we have seen these ties contributing to the strong bilateral relation between the Sudan and Ethiopia.”
The regional president also pledged to support the program of building infrastructure interconnection between the two countries to link the neighboring regions and to boost regional trade.
“In this regard, the construction of roads linking the regional state of Tigray and the state of Gadarif and Kassala is already underway,” he stressed.
President Bashir via his representative to his side expressed his pleasure by the warm welcome he honored by the Tigray people and regional government.
His representative added that the government of Sudan highly appreciates Ethiopia’s continuous commitment to bring development, stability and security in Sudan particularly and in the region in general.
Ethiopia and the Sudan share common history, ancient civilization, and culture of tolerance and understanding, the representative added.
The historical linkage of Meroe and Axum is one such testimony to the age old relationship that existed between the Sudan and Ethiopia.
“We are committed more than ever before to consolidate this shared values and fully exploit the potentialities of Sudan and Ethiopia for the common good of our two peoples.” Bashir’s representative underscored.
Al-Negashi is the holy Islamic shrine where the followers of Prophet Mohammed who faced persecution in their own country were given sanctuary and protection by Ethiopia.
(ST)