Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Commander of UAE armed forces Mohammed bin Zayed has arrived in Ethiopia for discussions with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on economic and security matters. The Ethiopian state-owned ETV has reported that UAE has pledged to invest $2 billion USD in Ethiopian economy and granted $1 billion USD in direct financial assistance. Currently, PM Abiy’s government is frantically working to save the Ethiopian economy that is paralyzed by a shortage of hard currency. Read the full report on the Crown Prince’s visit by Gulf News below:
(Gulf News) – The talks covered bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation, the strategic partnership between the two countries and regional and international issues of mutual interest.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed political, economic, investment and development relations and the potentials of furthering them, particularly in the vital; fields of mutual interest. They also stressed the need to step up coordination to explore new opportunities for cooperation.
Shaikh Mohammad praised the deep-rooted relations between the UAE and Ethiopia and the keenness of their leaderships to further strengthen them. He added that the UAE attaches great importance to developing economic relations with Ethiopia, which is currently witnessing rapid economic growth. He noted that the Emirati investments in Ethiopia are also witnessing significant growth.
He expressed his confidence that the UAE-Ethiopian relations will witness a positive shift, thanks to the cooperation agreements between the two countries that cover economic, commercial, cultural and development fields.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides expressed their interest in developing bilateral cooperation in economic, commercial, investment and development domains, in a way that will serve the common interests of the two friendly countries and contribute to achieving sustainable development, security, and stability in the African continent.
They also emphasized the need for the international community to intensify efforts towards achieving peace and security in the region and in the whole world and to instill the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Earlier, Shaikh Mohammad was received by Addis Ababa Dr Abiy Ahmad upon his arrival to Addis Ababa. He was accorded an official reception, during which the national anthems of the UAE and Ethiopia were played. Shaikh Mohammad was given a 21-gun salute and later inspected the guard of honor.
Shaikh Mohammad is accompanied on the visit by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, Reem Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Noora Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister for Culture and Knowledge Development, Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State, and other senior officials.
