Ethiopia PM willing to talk to Eritrea
In an exclusive interview, Hailemariam Desalegn tells Al Jazeera he is ready
to speak to President Issaias Afeworki.
Last Modified: 05 Dec 2012 15:38
Short Video-
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/12/2012125145129652231.html
Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia's prime minister, has said that he is willing
to hold talks with neighbouring Eritrea, with whom Addis Ababa fought a
border war that ended in 2000.
If Desalgen follows through with Wednesday's statement, it will be the first
time a leader in Addis Ababa has held talks with Issaias Afeworki, the
Eritrean president, since the end of the conflict which left at least 70,000
people dead.
"If you ask me, 'Do you want to go to Asmara and sit down and negotiate with
Isaias Afwerki?' Then, I will say yes'," Hailemariam said in an interview
with Al Jazeera to be broadcast on Saturday.
The two countries remain at odds over the flashpoint town of Badme, awarded
to Eritrea by a UN-backed boundary commission, but still controlled by
Ethiopia.
"The most important thing for us is to fight poverty ... to have regional
integration. If we two do that, it will be much more productive,"
Hailemariam added.
Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year struggle,
that is considered among the continent's longest and most bitter.
Hailemariam, who took office after longtime ruler Meles Zenawi died in
August, said that reaching out to Asmara was following the policy of his
predecessor.
"My predecessor Meles Zenawi had asked for more than 50 times even to go to
Asmara and negotiate with Mister Isaias Afwerki," he said.
Ethiopia and Eritrea routinely accuse each other of backing armed groups to
destabilise the other.
In March, Ethiopia attacked an Eritrean military base after the killing of
five European tourists in blamed on Asmara.
Received on Wed Dec 05 2012 - 23:07:12 EST
