Egypt seeks to mediate in Ethiopia-Eritrea border row

ADDIS ABABA, April 18, 2005 (MENA) — Leaders of Ethiopia and Egypt have affirmed that they would strengthen their cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, Nile Basin Initiative and other areas of cooperation. They have signed two cooperation agreements.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Egyptian President Husni Mubarak expressed commitments to bolster the bilateral cooperation between the two countries during talks in Sharm al-Shaykh town in Egypt.

They indicated that the cooperation between Ethiopia and Egypt has been gathering momentum, with the volume of bilateral trade exchanges reaching about 50m US dollars.

They indicated the need stepping up trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. They said the bilateral cooperation between the two countries should be sustained.

The two leaders recognized that the activities towards the implementation of the shared vision projects under the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) have got well under way.

Meles and Mubarak also conferred on regional issues, particularly on the Sudan and Somalia peace processes, as well as the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute, Ethiopian Ambassador to Egypt Girma Amare said.

Egypt wants to play a mediatory role in the efforts to help resolve the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute, Ambassador Girma said.

The two leaders agreed to work in cooperation in the implementation of the peace accords in the Sudan and Somalia, Ambassador Girma said.

Ethiopia and Egypt, in this tourist town of Sharm al-Shaykh, have signed memorandum of understanding on economic and technical as well as veterinary health cooperations.

Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and his Egyptian counterpart signed the agreement.