Djibouti’s president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, paid an official visit to Ethiopia on March 27, meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as part of a bilateral conversation focusing on the dynamics of security and the regional economy.
Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Youssouf, spoke on the sidelines of the meetings, stating that they had focused on issues related to energy, management of water resources, regional trade and development of logistics networks and connections with the port of Djibouti, which has become one of the main corridors for the movement of goods exported and imported from Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed later confirmed the essentially economic nature of the bilateral talks, adding that also in terms of agricultural activities the two countries have defined a common strategy of cooperation to enhance production efforts for mutual benefit.
Guelleh’s visit to Ethiopia follows the very recent one on February 5 on the sidelines of the African Union summit, and is part of an increasingly close cooperation between the two countries.
No mention, in the official communiqués, was made of the security talks and assessments of regional stability, with reference above all to the progress of the conflict in Ethiopia and the continuing tensions along most of the borders of the regional state of Tigray.
Also in terms of military cooperation, relations between Ethiopia and Djibouti have increased significantly, as demonstrated by the agreement signed at the beginning of March by the heads of staff of the two countries, and Djibouti makes no secret of its concerns about the continuing tensions especially in the regional state of Afar.
