“Over the years our two countries have continued to strengthen cooperation in various fronts” – Ambassador Tesfaye
By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – senior officials from our two governments are going to meet in the Ethiopian city of Diredawa in September this year to finalize agreements reached during the last meeting in Hargeisa”
This was revealed by the Ethiopian ambassador to Somaliland General Berhe Tesfaye at the ministry of posts and telecommunications in Hargeisa where he participated at handover function between incoming and outgoing ministry director generals-DG.
“On behalf of the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation I hereby congratulate Somaliland 
and its people for continued good relations between our two neighbouring countries” said Gen Tesfaye
While lauding the new posts and telecommunications DG Feisal Ali Sheikh for his relentless pursuit of better relations with Ethiopia during his tenure as DG ministry of foreign affairs, the Ethiopian Envoy who is based in Hargeisa said that his government is committed to not only sustaining but enhancing on the prevalent relations.
He further informed that agreements on bilateral cooperation in Security, Trade, Investment, etc. reached during a meeting of negotiating teams from the two countries shall be signed this coming September in Diredawa town.
On the outcome of the discussions on the enhancement of cooperation to be formalized this coming September in Diredawa the Ambassador Gen Berhe Tesfaye said that among benefits to be in the pact include supply of cheap electricity to Somaliland, ease of cross border commerce and enhanced security for citizens of the two countries.
Discussions leading to the forthcoming pact ensued on the 29th April at the Ambassador hotel in Hargeisa where a 14 member delegation representing various sectors joined their Somaliland counterparts for two days of deliberations.
The 14 members of the Ethiopian delegation which had arrived in the country both by air and on land consisted of representatives from the departments of Foreign affairs, Finance, Transport, Public 
works, Energy-Electricity, Aviation and commerce. Also in the delegation were officials from the Jig-jiga town based Somalia Zone five regional administration which is the main conduit between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
The Hargeisa talks were a follow up of earlier ones in the Ethiopian town of Dire-Dawa which was at ministerial level and ensued with the creation of specialized technical committees from the two countries that were mandated with coming up with clear guidelines to steer the relationship between their two countries as per particular areas and or sectors of expertise.
Ethiopia which was the first country to establish a fully-fledged diplomatic presence in Somaliland is also the only one to have publicly declared its readiness to protect the sovereignty of the yet to be recognized Somaliland in the event of external attack.
This support that shocked many with the international community was declared by Prime Minister Desalegn during an address to the Ethiopian parliament in Addis Ababa on 18th may 2013 coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of Somaliland’s independence.
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