Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki vowed to “bolster cooperation” with Ethiopia in a ceremony organized to lay cornerstone for Eritrean Embassy Construction near Siddist Kilo area of Addis Ababa.

borkena
December 27, 2019

On his second day of visit to Ethiopia, Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki, joined by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, laid the cornerstone for the construction of a new Eritrean Embassy in Addis Ababa.

The new location is close to Hamle 19 recreation park in the Sidist Kilo area of the city.  The current Eritrean embassy is located near Meskel Square.

Eritrean Ministry of Information quoted Abiy Ahmed as saying “Christmas gift to the people and Government of the people of Ethiopia to the people and Government of Eritrea” during the ceremony.

“The construction of the embassy will help strengthen the diplomatic relations of the two countries,” Abiy added during his speech after cornerstone laying ceremony. 

Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Gedu Andargachew, and Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, among other dignitaries of Ethiopian and Eritrean officials, attended the ceremony.

Eritrean President Isaias Afeworki took a moment to express his gratitude for the hospitality accorded to his delegation.

He also expressed his country’s “resolute decision to work with requisite vigor to recoup lost opportunities by three generation to bolster new chapter of cooperation between the two countries,” as reported by Eritrean Ministry of Information.

Although this is his third trip to Ethiopia since the two countries ended two decades of hostile relations in 2018, it is his first trip since Abiy Ahmed was declared as “winner” of the 2019 Nobel peace prize.

In a related development, the Eritrean delegation under President Isaias has visited Industrial Park in Adama (Nazret) and other industrial projects in Bishoftu (Debrezeit) and Dukem.