ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia and Qatar have resumed diplomatic and economic ties, the prime ministers of both countries said yesterday, ending a four-year row over claims that the Gulf state was backing armed opposition groups in the Horn of Africa. Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani said security was a priority for development in the Horn of Africa.
“We believe peace brings development, and these countries in this part of the world need a lot of development,” he said, adding that the high-level meeting between both countries was agreed upon when he met with Ethiopia’s late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in February.
“We are in a time where we can flourish and strengthen our relationship and our relationship is based on mutual trust as well as a good heart,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told reporters after meeting Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem in Addis Ababa. “Now we want to continue with this relationship for the future,” he added. AFP
