A delegation led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan arrived Addis Ababa this morning for an official visit.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia who welcomes President Salva Kirr at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, said that at this defining moment Ethiopia needs friends like South Sudan, which do not change in circumstances.
“Thank you to President Salva Kiir for the commitment to strengthen ties b/n our two countries. In our discussions, we have also explored the necessity to build on economic ties through infrastructure development. All-weather friends like South Sudan are essential in our time of need,” Prime Minister Abiy twitted.
The two leaders have held a bilateral meeting focusing on strengthening the ties of the two countries and the people. They also discussed on transboundary infrastructure development that boosts trade and investment between the people of the two neighbors.
In addition to sharing border, Ethiopia and South Sudan have the same people, who mainly belong to the Nuer and Anuak ethnic group. South Sudan, which borders Ethiopia on the West, has got its independence from Sudan in July 2011 after decades of armed struggle.
As part of regional integration, currently Ethiopia, South Sudan are building the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, a multibillion dollars major infrastructure development project that will run from Kenya to South Sudan and Ethiopia,