Ethiopia-Djibouti Experts Meeting Asseses Progress of Economic Integration

Addis Ababa June 22, 2018 Ethiopia-Djibouti Experts Meeting has evaluated new areas of cooperation to further enhance economic integration, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). During the past two days the meeting identified and evaluated what has so far been achieved in the process of creating economic integration agreed by the Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting held in July 2016 in Addis Ababa. Speaking at the closing ceremony today, Mohamoud Dirir, Neighboring Countries and IGAD Affairs Director-General at MoFA said the experts meeting has conducted a fruitful deliberation in areas of political and economic sectors but the performances in transport and port related issues are not at the desired level. According to the Director-General, the two countries would work hard to bring better future, peace and stability in the region. Bilateral Relations Director at Djibouti's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yasin Houssein Dovale said the cooperation between Ethiopia and Djibouti is based on a shared history of thousands of years and cross border relationship. "This shared history shows us that we have things in common than things that separate us,” he said, adding that the existing relationship is full of concrete and big projects and programs that bring closer our economies and peoples." The experts of the two countries need to have the same mindset of moving forward different issues of common interest which the Joint Ministerial Commission will use as input to further enhance economic integration between the two sisterly countries, Yasin stated. The 15th Ethio-Djibouti Joint Ministerial Commission will take place in Djibouti.