Abiy’s visit to Prague follows Fiala’s trip to Ethiopia in early November. Credit: vlada.cz.
Prague, Nov 29 (CTK) – Czech and Ethiopian Prime Ministers, Petr Fiala and Abiy Ahmed, held talks at the Government Office in Prague yesterday, and discussed mainly economic cooperation, security and development aid, they said in a joint statement issued after their meeting.
Abiy’s visit to Prague follows Fiala’s trip to Ethiopia in early November, during which Fiala invited his counterpart to the Czech Republic.
The visit, in quick succession after their last meeting, demonstrates the mutual interest in developing relations, Fiala said, adding that they found a number of common themes and areas for developing cooperation. Ethiopia, said Fiala, means opportunities for Czech companies and potential new contracts. There is a tradition of mutual relations between the two countries, one example being Czech hydrologists who have been working in Ethiopia since the 1970s and are now expanding their activities with new technologies, Fiala said.
The prime ministers discussed economic cooperation and agreed to set up a commission to specify cooperation projects. The meeting also focused on the mining industry, the development of Ethiopian agriculture, and development cooperation. Abiy said that aside from agriculture and defence, there is also opportunity for cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector. Fiala said they also discussed the possibility of a direct air route between Prague and Addis Ababa.
Fiala and Abiy also talked about cooperation on security. According to Fiala, it is in the interest of the Czech Republic to support Ethiopia as an important country for stability in the region. He mentioned the cooperation in defence; Czech technicians from the Aero Vodochody company are supervising the modernization of L-39 Albatros planes in Ethiopia. This opens the possibility of signing a contract for the delivery of a new generation of L-39NG aircraft in the future, Fiala noted.
