On the second day of an official visit to the Republic of Somaliland, Ambassador Ridwan Hussein, State Minister for Political Affairs at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, paid a courtesy call on President Musa Bihi Abdi.
The two sides, during a cordial meeting at Somaliland presidency, touched a number of issues critical to the two Horn of Africa Nations.
According to sum-up statements the Somaliland presidency’s press office and the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry posted, security and cross-border immigration were at the head of the agenda discussed during the meeting with president Bihi and with the appropriate Somaliland authorities prior to the meeting.
https://twitter.com/mfaethiopia/status/1433783071803904001?s=20
The Presidency statement added that the completion and timely implementation of protocols and MOUs the two governments reached in 2020 and earlier were also raised at the meeting.
Ambassador Ridwan, the statement added, had underlined the critical importance the use of Berbera port held for the Ethiopian not only at this juncture of time alone but as a most suitable, geo-strategically placed trade hub for the land-locked nation.
Somaliland and Ethiopia’s long-standing relations rested on mutually shared concerns that included a serious engagement and optimization of economic, security, education, health, agriculture, immigration, cross-border trade and people-to-people relations.
Minister Ridwan paid a visit to the Red Sea port of Berbera which has, since the partnership with DP World, become a serious game-changer in the region’s socio-economy.
At the President’s reception of Ambassador Ridwan, present were on the Somaliland side, the (now former) Deputy Minister (and Acting Minister) for Foreign Affairs, Liban Osman, and Mohamed Ahmed Mohamoud ‘Barawani’ – a senior advisor at the foreign ministry.
Minister Liban welcomed the State Minister to Somaliland the day before.
Accompanying Minister Ridwan was the Ethiopian Head of Mission to Somaliland, Ambassador Saeed Mohamed Jibril.
The Ethiopian State Ministers visit comes at a time that Ethiopia is not only economically hampered by the conflict with the Tigray Defense Forces but was also greatly troubled by possible immigration issues and the conflux of refugees and IDPs.
The State Minister’s Somaliland not so accidentally coincides with another State Minister’s working visit to Djibouti.
A delegation led by the FDRE State Minister for Peace arrived in Djibouti, Saturday, for the 27th Ethio-Djibouti Joint Border Administrators Meeting.
A delegation led by State Minister of Peace of FDRE arrives at #Djibouti for 27th #EthioDjibouti Joint Border Administrators Meeting & was warmly received by Minister of Interior of Djibouti & Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti. @mfaethiopia @BerhanuTsegaye @MoP_Ethiopia @the_dct pic.twitter.com/P2C5J2kPUC
— Ethiopian Embassy in Djibouti (@EthioInDjibouti) September 4, 2021
