Saudi keep to strengthen its relations with Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, March 6, 2013 (WIC) - Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs said Saudi Arabia is keen to strengthen its bilateral relations with Ethiopia.
According to the Minister the two countries have deep-rooted and long standing relations.

He said: "The first Hijra (migration) in Islam was to Abyssinia, and the ties between the people of the two countries have had a long standing and prestigious history."

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, there is a growing “development of relations with Abyssinia, which culminated right now to reach an excellent level of cooperation in various fields, citing the significant widening trade between the two countries.”

Prince Saud Al-Faisal affirmed Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Ethiopia are working to calm the situation in the Horn of Africa. It is to be recalled the two countries recently signed agreement to cooperate on a whole host of issues.

Days ago Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense wrongly commented in Cairo Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam has a potential to hurt the Nile downstream countries.

According to ERTA, following this, Ethiopia demanded explanation from the Ambassador of the Kingdom in Addis Ababa in which the Ambassador denied the comments of the Deputy Minister reflects the views of the Saudi Arabia Kingdom.