ADDIS ABABA — THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD Newspaper 10 May 2016: A week-long visit by Sudanese Public Diplomacy Team to Ethiopia would cement the cultural, historical, people-to-people, political as well as economic relations between the two countries, House of People’s Representatives Speaker and Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Team Head Abadula Gemeda said.
Receiving the delegation Sunday, Abadula said that the Ethio-Sudanese ties lay on a strong bases and the visit by the delegation would take the long-standing relations into a new height.
The visit would be important to strengthen the people-to-people relations and solidarity apart from state level relations. The delegation would visit various developmental activities in different parts of the country to draw lessons, he said.
The Sudanese Public Diplomacy Delegation Head and Sudanese Council of States President Dr. Omer Suleiman Adam on his part praised Ethiopians hospitality and the visit would help further sustain the mutual benefits and diplomatic relations between the two nations.
“We believe that we are one people living in two countries. The visiting delegation would strive to forge strong people-to-people relations,” he said.
Upon arrival the delegation was warmly received by Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Team members, senior government officials and others.
The delegation has already visited the Addis Ababa Light Railway and the Addis-Adama Expressway and Condominium House project in the city. It would also visit the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, industrial parks, and other infrastructural development projects. The delegation would also take part in a joint symposium. During discussion with the delegation, Transport Minister Dr. Workineh Gebeyehu said that much has to be done to strengthen and enhance the implementation of the previously signed agreements between the two countries in the area of trade, investment and agriculture, among others, to sustain the existing cooperation.
Furthermore, the Minister said that the Nile has contributed in defining the nature of their relationship for centuries but they have never been very active in nurturing the positive aspect of this relationship in the past.
However, since recently the relations between the two nations has witnessed some notable achievement toward cooperation in the utilization of the Nile River, he said and thanked the Sudanese people and government for their support for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
Sudanese Delegation Head Dr. Omer Suleiman Adam pointed out that the visit would serve as a tool to cement development cooperation in various sectors and people-to people integration. He said his delegation would convey message to the people of Sudan about its visit in Ethiopia.
The delegation comprises members drawn from Sudan International People Friendship Council, parliament, various civic societies and political parties, Ethio-Sudan Friendship Association, academic, youth and women associations and artists.
The delegation would also hold discussion with Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and other senior government officials. It was learnt that the Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Team had paid official visit to Sudan a year ago.
BY FANUEL LAKEW