France to boost ties with Ethiopia

PARIS, April 16 (AFP) — French President Jacques Chirac and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi agreed in hour-long talks to strengthen economic and political ties between their two countries, the Elysee Palace said.

Speaking on the last day of Meles’ first-ever visit to France, the two leaders discussed in particular French participation in Ethiopia’s development in the sectors of telecommunications, energy and aeronautics, spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said.

The talks also covered the training of Ethiopian soldiers to take part in peacekeeping operations and French support for a proposed African Union standby force to deal with conflicts.

Regional problems, including Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia’s difficult relations with Eritrea, were also discussed, and Chirac accepted in principle an invitation from Meles to visit Addis Ababa, Bonnafont said.

Meles began his trip on Thursday by meeting with French business leaders, to talk of his country’s development policy and business opportunities.

Last year, bilateral trade amounted to some 64.4 million dollars (50 million euros) compared to 200 million dollars (155 million euros) between the impoverished Horn of Africa nation and China.

With France only ranking as Ethiopia’s 11th most important trading partner, both sides would like to see those numbers improved.

Meles, the first Ethiopian government chief to travel to France on an official bilateral tour since the reign of former emperor Haile Selassie, also met French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier on Friday.

The media watchdog group Reporters without Borders (RSF) had asked Chirac to use the meeting with Meles to press the case of two Ethiopian journalists detained in Addis Ababa for more than a year without charges.