Ethiopia says ties with South Sudan continuing to improve

July 11, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia’s newly-elect deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnen, on Thursday said relations between his country and South Sudan, since its independence from Sudan have improved in all aspects.

In an interview with state-run Ethiopia Radio and Television Agency (ERTA), Mekonnen, who has just returned from attending South Sudan’s second independence anniversary, said diplomatic, economic, political and social ties between Addis Ababa and Juba had grown steadily since 9 July 2011.

“We have strong cooperation in different areas including in capacity building and in infrastructure development” he said, noting the historic and cultural bonds between the peoples of Ethiopia and South Sudan.

As well as agreements on political and diplomatic relations, Ethiopia and South Sudan have agreed a series of cooperation agreements on a broad range of subjects that the countries say have gained momentum over the past two years.

Among others, the two neighbours have signed agreements to work together to maintain peace and security along their common border, on trade, transport, education, communication, transit and exports as well as on cultural and social relations.

Mekonnen said Ethiopia and South Sudan have established a ministerial-level cooperation monitoring body to review and follow up the implementation of the raft of bilateral deals.

He said his country would do its best to further expand the relations with South Sudan in all fields and at all levels, based on the mutual respect between the two East African neighbours.

With regard to Sudan and South Sudan, the Ethiopian official said his country was working closely to push-start better diplomatic relations between the two countries in order to resolve their remaining post-secession disputes.

He went on to say that Khartoum and Juba have shown encouraging cooperation in narrowing existing differences between them.

Mekonnen reaffirmed that Ethiopia, which has hosted most of the discussions between the two sides, will continue to extend support until all the disputes between the two Sudans are completely resolved.

He further said the birth of Africa’s newest nation has laid a foundation to address peace and security problems in the volatile East African region and in the continent at large.

(ST)