Addis Ababa: The newly appointed Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia, George Kwanya said the two east African nations have been solidifying their long-standing relationship and broadening cooperation in various fields.
Approached by ENA shortly after presenting his credential to President Sahlework Zewde on Friday, the ambassador reaffirmed his country’s commitment to reinforce the multifaceted ties with Ethiopia.
‘We are going to work together (with Ethiopia) to ensure the commitment that we made and implement it,’ Ambassador Kwanya emphasized.
Highlighting historical relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya, the ambassador stated that the countries have an excellent relationship that goes back to many decades.
Over the years, Ethiopia and Kenya have fostered a robust partnership, evidenced by numerous cooperation agreements encompassing education, healthcare, transportation, and in other sectors, he pointed out.
This strong bond is further solidified by the Special Status Agreement signed in 2012, Ambassador
Kwanya noted.
‘We have a very special relationship with Ethiopia and it is demonstrated in the special status agreement that we signed in 2012. There are numerous projects underway collaboratively, including the LAPSSET (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor) initiative.’
To further expand the horizons of their ties, the ambassador elaborated that Ethiopia and Kenya have been exploring avenues, including exchange of high-level visits by their leaders.
‘These exchanges of high-level visits have provided us with an opportunity to discuss how to enhance the existing relationship,’ Ambassador Kwanya highlighted.
He also cited the frequent visits by the Kenyan President William Ruto to Addis Ababa and reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Nairobi, Kenya, that proves the relationship between the two countries is bearing fruit.
Most notably, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent state visit to Kenya serves as a prime example of this enduring partnership.
Speaking about the recent Ethio-Ken
yan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting which was held last month in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Kwanya revealed that the meeting has further solidified those commitments through the signing of several new bilateral agreements.
We are hopeful that these agreements will ensure the commitments to be effectively implemented, Ambassador Kwanya stressed.
He also mentioned those identified areas include energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and tourism in order to intensify cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya.
“We share a common border, and our people share common languages and cultural practices, fostering frequent exchanges,” he added.
On his part, the Director-General of African Affairs at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fiseha Shawol stressed the need for strengthening of the Ethio-Kenyan relationship.
“For us, the relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya is the most diverse and biggest in Africa. And there are about 36 agreements in place, with several areas of cooperat
ion,” Ambassador Shawol stated.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency