State Minister Redwan Confers with Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya

Addis Ababa, June 08, 2021 (Walta) – State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Redwan Husen discussed with Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya Raychelle Omamo on issues of bilateral and issues of common concern between the two countries.

At the onset, Ambassador Redwan lauded the long-standing fraternal relationship between the two countries and stressed the need to deepen ties with expanded engagements.

During their discussion, the two sides stressed the need to expedite the implementation of various agreements that were signed between the two countries.

In this regard, they noted the need to reconvene various high-level meetings, including the Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Border Commission meetings which were disrupted due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The two sides also recounted the efforts to create multifaceted linkages to boost bilateral trade between Ethiopia and Kenya.

In this regard, they noted the importance of the agreement that established the Moyale one-stop border post in facilitating trade and discouraging illegal transactions.

The two officials underscored the need to hold a joint trade and investment forum and sign a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint business council between the two countries’ chambers of commerce.

According to Ministery of Foreign Affairs, Redwan also took the opportunity to explain to the Cabinet Secretary Ethiopia’s commitment to holding fair, free, transparent, and credible general elections in June.

In his briefing about the situation in Tigray, the State Minister appreciated the ongoing EHRC-UN joint investigations and said proper legal actions were taken against perpetrators of human rights abuses following investigations carried out by competent authorities in Ethiopia.

He said the humanitarian efforts of the government are encouraging and called on the international community to provide concrete support and refrain from unnecessary politicization of the matter.

Redwan also reiterated Ethiopia’s commitment to finding peaceful resolutions to the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute and the tripartite negotiations over the GERD.

Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, on her part, appreciated State Minister Redwan for the briefings and highlighted her country’s belief that issues of regional concerns should get resolutions under the principle of “African solutions to African problems.”