Ethiopia, Namibia Sign MoU to Further Scale up Bilateral Ties

ADDIS ABABA Ethiopia and Namibia on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further strengthen their bilateral relationship, according to the ministry of foreign affairs.

The MoU was signed between  Demeke Mekonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, and his Namibian counterpart, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, on the margins of the AU Executive Council meeting in Lusaka.

On the occasion, the foreign ministry in a statement issued today said Demeke recalled Ethiopia’s support of Namibia’s anti-Apartheid struggle.

The ties between the two countries have tremendously improved since Namibia’s independence, said the minister.

He added that the agreement signed today would empower the two countries to broaden and improve their historical relationship in a variety of sectors.

The Deputy PM also spoke about the current situation in Ethiopia, detailing the positive steps that the government has been undertaking to maintain peace and appreciated African friendly countries for their support in assisting the government’s efforts to maintain peace.

Mentioning Ethiopia’s strong ties with its neighbors, he said that the government is working hard to amicably address the boundary dispute with Sudan.

Namibia’s FM Nandi-Ndaitwah, on her part, recalled Ethiopia’s all-around support in fighting Apartheid in Namibia and bringing Namibia’s issue to the United Nations made a significant contribution to strengthening the Namibian people’s struggle.

The Minister also stressed that Namibia has a keen interest in deepening the existing cooperation in various fields and that this agreement is part of that, reads the statement. She also noted that the two countries’ historical ties should be elevated to a greater level.