March 29, 2024 15:05 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi to kickstart BJP's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Meerut | Kangana Ranaut in Mandi: 'Don't think I am a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter' | Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav demand high-level probe into Mukhtar Ansari's death | PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63
UN chief welcomes ‘first concrete step’ in normalizing Eritrea-Ethiopia relationship

UN chief welcomes ‘first concrete step’ in normalizing Eritrea-Ethiopia relationship

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 28 Jun 2018, 09:35 pm

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the high-level visit of a delegation from Eritrea to neighbouring Ethiopia which began on Tuesday, as “a first concrete step” in the process of normalizing relations between the two countries.

“The Secretary-General notes that diplomatic overtures to ease tensions and resolve the longstanding dispute between the two countries will have a far reaching positive impact on the whole region,” said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric in a statement on Thursday.

“The Secretary-General once again reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to play a role in support of the two countries in the implementation of the boundary decision or in any other area they would deem useful for the United Nations to assist,” Dujarric concluded.Last week, Ethiopia under its new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, announced its readiness to finally accept and implement a 2002 border agreement with Eritrea, that ended two years of bloody conflict in which thousands died. Since then, the countries have remained on a war-footing.

Guterres responded to the 21 June thaw in relations by welcoming the “positive step” and commended efforts by the leaders of both countries “to achieve sustainable peace and good neighbourly relations which, in turn, will have positive repercussions in the entire Horn of Africa region.”

This week’s diplomatic initiative to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, was led by Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh, and according to news reports, Prime Minister Ahmed announced that Ethiopian Airlines would restart flights to Etritrea, for the first time since 1998.

UNICEF/Mulugeta Ayene

 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.