Djibouti’s Guelleh in Ethiopia to bolster ties

Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh landed in Addis Ababa on Sunday for a two-day state visit in Ethiopia.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received him at the Bole International Airport.

“I welcome my brother Ismail Guelleh President of the Republic of Djibouti, to his second home,” Dr Abiy said in a message he posted on his Twitter page shortly after Guelleh’s arrival.

The two leaders are expected to hold talks on bilateral, national and regional issues of common concern.

“I look forward to our fruitful discussions on issues of common interest over the next two days,” the Ethiopian PM added.

The two neighbouring countries have a long-standing history of cultural and historical ties and have joint investments and agreements in infrastructure, including rail, road, water, telecom, and electricity.

The latest visit is Guelleh’s second in less than two months.

The two leaders last met on February 5 on the sidelines of the Africa Union Summit in Addis Ababa.

In recent years, the two eastern African countries have been pushing to further bolster their multifaceted cooperation on their economic and security areas, among others.

Earlier this month, the defence chiefs of Ethiopia and Djibouti reached an agreement to work on security, education, training and peacekeeping jointly.

Meanwhile, the first Ethiopia-Djibouti Fruits and Vegetables Forum was held in Addis Ababa last week.

The forum organised by the Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association served as an important platform for assessing gaps and developing improved mechanisms to enhance fruit and vegetable exports.