House Representatives Commend Prioritizing of Neighboring Countries in Foreign Policy

Addis Ababa July 1/2019 Ethiopia’s Ethiopia’s foreign policy which prioritizes relations with neighboring countries is key to peace, security and economic development, House of People's Representatives said.

Delivering his annual performance report to the House of People's Representatives today, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia will pursue strong bilateral relations with neighboring countries.

Noting that Sudan and its people had been helpful to the Ethiopian people in time of trouble, he pointed out that Ethiopia “will continue with its mediation effort to bring peace in Sudan, and our stand is the same with other neighboring countries.”

In an exclusive interview with ENA, member of HPR Ashenafi Gaemi said Ethiopia should continue strengthening its bondage with neighboring countries as it never had enmity with any of them.

Commenting on the statement of the prime minister, he said “peace in Sudan means peace in Ethiopia. This is because we are historically bind together in many aspects.”

This effort has to be intensified, Ashenafi stressed, adding that the House of People's Representatives will support the initiative of the premier through its friendship committee.

The other parliament member, Abebe Godebo said on his part Ethiopia’s priority to neighboring countries in its foreign policy entails considerations of security and economic impacts.

He added that Sudan has been and still is a strong partner of Ethiopia in many ways and the government fully understands this.

The foreign policy of Ethiopia “focuses on neighboring countries as it is vividly clear that both the positive and negative spillovers have impacts and strong bond is crucial.”

Ethiopia's prime minister is mediating to bring solutions to the current situation in Sudan by closing the gap through diplomatic efforts to bring the protesters and the military leaders back to the negotiating table.