Addis Ababa, March 19, 2024(Adis Walta) The newly appointed Kenyan Ambassador to Ethiopia, George Kwanya, has expressed his commitment to strengthening the multifaceted ties between the two East African nations.
After presenting his letter of credentials to the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE), Sahle-Work Zewde, Ambassador Kwanya highlighted the historical relationship between Ethiopia and Kenya, which dates back many decades. Over the years, the two countries have fostered a robust partnership, evidenced by numerous cooperation agreements in education, healthcare, transportation, and other sectors.
Ambassador Kwanya emphasized that he and Ethiopia would work together to ensure the commitments made between the two countries are effectively implemented. He also mentioned that Ethiopia and Kenya have a special relationship, demonstrated by the Special Status Agreement signed in 2012, and numerous projects, including the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) initiative, are currently underway collaboratively.
To expand the horizons of their ties, the ambassador elaborated that Ethiopia and Kenya have been exploring avenues, including the exchange of high-level visits by their leaders. These exchanges have provided an opportunity to discuss how to enhance the existing relationship.
The frequent visits by the Kenyan President, William Ruto, to Addis Ababa and reciprocal visits by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Nairobi, Kenya, prove that the relationship between the two countries is bearing fruit. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent state visit to Kenya serves as a prime example of this enduring partnership.
The recent Ethio-Kenyan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting, held last month in Addis Ababa, has further solidified commitments between the two countries through the signing of several new bilateral agreements. These agreements include identified areas such as energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and tourism to intensify cooperation between Ethiopia and Kenya.
“We share a common border, and our people share common languages and cultural practices, fostering frequent exchanges,” Ambassador Kwanya added. The Director-General of African Affairs at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fiseha Shawol, also stressed the need for strengthening the Ethio-Kenyan relationship, stating that it is the most diverse and biggest in Africa, with about 36 agreements in place and several areas of cooperation.