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Nigeria and Ethiopia have rekindled their bilateral ties and have resolved to further work toward ensuring mutual progress and prosperity for both countries.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this to newsmen at the end of a bilateral meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart, Dr Workneh Gebe.
He spoke on the sidelines of the 31st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the 29th AU Summit in Addis Asaba.
The minister said there was need for the two countries to continue to support each other and share experience on managing ethnic diversity.
Onyeama said areas of discourse between the two countries included cooperation in defence, politics, economy as well as consular and multilateral matters.
The minister solicited the support and cooperation of Ethiopia as Nigeria assumed the position of the Chairman of the AU Peace and Security Council, on Saturday.
Nigeria and Ethiopia have long-standing relations even before Nigeria became independent in October, 1960.
Ethiopia opened its embassy in Lagos in 1961 and both countries have common interests in the consolidation of their bilateral relations.
The two most populous countries in Africa with a combined population of well over 200 million are multi-ethnic and multi-religious.
Nigeria and Ethiopia signed an agreement in June 2000 to provide teachers for various universities and high schools in Ethiopia.
Since then, Ethiopia had been the leading beneficiary of Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps teachers, an excellent example of South/South relations.(NAN)
