Ethiopia, Kenya Reaffirm Commitment to Foster Cross-border Infrastructure Projects

Addis Ababa December 10/2020 (ENA) Ethiopia and Kenya reaffirmed their commitments to the continued implementation of cross-border infrastructure projects.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the media shortly after inspecting the on-going development projects at the new 32-berth Lamu Port, where the first three berths are under construction with the first berth already completed.

“We are witnessing the potential of Lamu not only for Ethiopia but also for South Sudan; it might also connect other ports of the region,” Abiy said.

“This will help us to realize our vision, which we have already been discussing and working on it for economic integration of the region and to transform the life of our people,” he added.

Noting there are a lot of potentials from Ethiopia side but without having infrastructure like the port and road connectivity there will no way that “we can export our goods from Ethiopia to the rest of the world and also import necessary inputs from other countries,” he underlined.

Abiy noted that without infrastructure, without economic integration there is no way to survive in the 21^st century.

“We can transform the horn of Africa as long as government dedicated their time and resources to invest infrastructure like my brother did in Kenya,” he added.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said on his part that the Governments of Ethiopia and Kenya have reached of understanding towards promoting the development, management and utilization of the transport corridor between the two countries.

Both countries are on fast tracking the development of the Mombasa-Nairobi-Addis Ababa Road Corridor Project so as to promote trade and regional integration, which is part of the Trans-Africa Highway network, it was indicated.

“We have embarked on the development of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, which is being developed to complement the Mombasa-Nairobi-Addis Ababa Road Corridor,” President Kenyatta stated.

He underlined that through this new Transport Corridor, Ethiopia will have more reliable and direct road access route; connecting Moyale and Isiolo to the Lamu Port on the Indian Ocean.

Moreover, he elaborated that two countries will in due course, unveil their detailed proposals for how they intend to rejuvenate the logistics and transport business in the region and position the East Africa as global logistics center serving as the leading gateway into the wider region as well as the rest of the continent.

The Government of Kenya is committed in promoting the development of transport corridor that integrates Kenya with Ethiopia, he said affirmed.