-For Ethiopia to make any viable economic development, it was imperative for her neighbours to achieve prosperity for the good of general progress- Amb. Suleiman
By M.A. Egge
The long awaited implementation of the establishing of Berbera Port’s five hectares Ethiopian Cargo Yard has finally come to pass in a momentous function of unprecedented milestone.
The newly appointed Commerce Minister Hon. Eng. Hussein Aden Egge popularly known as Hussein-deyr jointly laid the cornerstone of the yard together with Ethiopian official in-charge of his country’s investments with the neighbours Ambassador Sulaiman Dedefa while flanked by the ports CEO Eng. Ali Hor-hor and both regional and municipal leaders.
The function of this foundation stone-laying ceremony was held in the sidelines of the summit of the 4th SL-Ethio Technical Committee Meeting slated for three days in Berbera that kicked off yesterday.
This is the first time this meeting his held in this country since the preceding three were held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The itinerary of the meeting revolves around bilateral relations on infrastructure and transit, health, and education, security sector and associated immigration issues. (Read below details of the agenda and the minister’s speech).
To underscore the importance of the occasion the minister stated that “It is in itself recognition to have a viably fledgling and a busy port” in the country.
The establishing of the yard is part and parcel of the SL-Ethiopian Agreements on the Utilization of the Berbera Port and the Berbera Corridor, the highway that connects the two countries from Berbera to Addis Ababa.
Hon. Eng. Hussein-deyr happily said that “it is a joyous moment to have the Ethiopian officials here today to witness the yard reserved for Ethiopia”.
He said that the moment underpinned the close cooperation, bilateral and brethren-ship relations the two countries both enjoyed and cherished.
“Talks are on-going with our brothers on the utilization of the port and transit of goods”, said the minister. “We ought to put much efforts to the cause of factors of development which catalysis our progress”, he said.
Hon. Hussein-deyr particularly praised the efforts of the port CEO who is a veteran at the harbour’s helm for his steadfastness in pepping up efforts towards the development of the port as a whole.
On his part the leader of the Ethiopian delegation Amb. Suleiman Dedefa currently in charge of investments (with neighbours) echoed the minister’s words that the function underpinned the epitome of the bond of brethren-ship as far as bilateral, social, security and associated relations were concerned.
Most importantly Amb. Suleiman made it vivid that his country believed that “for Ethiopia to make any viable economic development, it was imperative for her neighbours to achieve prosperity for the good of general progress”.
“Poverty is the main culprit of conflicts”, he said, adding that for the Ethiopian progress to be tangible so should be those of the neighboring countries.
He said that the function depicted the brethren-ship of the two countries hence echoed the minister’s words.
He said that the moment will go down well in the history of the region as concerns bilateral, economic, security and associate relations.
He thanked SL government for allocating the 5 hactares earmarked for the Ethiopian Port Yard.
“There is no lasting peaceful stability if there is no lasting development”, said Amb. Suleiman.
He equally thanked the government for the warm reception that his delegation was accorded.
The Berbera Port CEO eng. Ali Horhor, the regional governor, local mayor and education director general were all in consensus that SL would do its part to implement whatever expectations incumbent upon her.
The SL-Ethiopian meeting is expected to go on for three days.
