“The President of #Ethiopia @sahlaworkzewde assured that her country is committed to cooperation with Colombia, especially in the areas of peace, agriculture, education and trade. “We are pleased that your country has approved the opening of the Colombian embassy in Ethiopia,” Márquez wrote on his Twitter account.
Zewde reminded that both countries are aware of the costs of armed conflict and that silencing guns is the beginning of the path to reconciliation they deserve.
“Both countries know the cost of the conflict and we know that the silencing of guns is just the beginning of a new process of reconciliation that will lead our nations to build the prosperity they deserve,” said the president, quoted by Márquez.
The Colombian Vice-President was received by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed this Tuesday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and exploring opportunities for cooperation in various areas.
He then spoke with representatives of the African Union (AU) Commission to strengthen cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two parties.
The AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Josefa Sacko announced on her Twitter account that Márquez was received by the Vice President of this African political organization, Monique Nsanzabaganwa, and other senior officials.
“ER @FranciaMarquezM, the Vice President of the Republic of #Colombia, met with the
@_AfricanUnion Commission. The session was chaired by the DCP, SE @mnsanzabaganwa. The Vice President pledged to strengthen cooperation between her country and @_AfricanUnion in knowledge sharing and South-South cooperation,” Sacko wrote.
Márquez arrived in Ethiopia the previous day for an official visit, the final stop on his tour of the continent, which included South Africa and Kenya, and was received by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed this morning.
He signed a memorandum of understanding with Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor Demeke Mekonnen aiming to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, aviation and technology.
Mekonnen welcomed Bogota’s decision to reopen its embassy in Addis Ababa after almost 50 years. Both countries started official diplomatic relations in 1947 and the South American country opened its diplomatic headquarters here in 1967 and closed it in 1974.
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