ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Ethiopia and Venezuela expressed their respective country's deep interest in bolstering bilateral relations through ways of South-South cooperation.
The two countries' foreign ministers announced their respective countries' commitment during their meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa over the weekend, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Workneh Gebeyehu, in his meeting with the visiting Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Alberto Arreaza Montserrat, in Addis Ababa said that the huge commitment aspired by the two countries "could be accomplished under the aegis of the spirit of South-South cooperation."
Gebeyehu further noted his country's commitment to enhance its bilateral ties with Venezuela in a number of areas, which include cooperation in the aviation diplomacy, tourism, oil industry, media and education sectors.
According to Gebeyehu, cooperation on aviation industry, in particular, is one of the most important areas where Ethiopia is ready to work closely with Venezuela and other Latin American countries via the East African country's flag carrier the Ethiopian Airlines group.
Montserrat, who commended Ethiopia's readiness and commitment to the principles and philosophy of South-South Cooperation, further expressed "Venezuela's interest to strengthen the diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, and boost cooperation in bilateral, regional and international areas of common concern," according to the statement by the ministry.
Gebeyehu also reiterated that Ethiopia, as a chair of the East African block IGAD, "is striving hard to bring about peace and stability in the region, particularly in South Sudan and Somalia," which, he said, is an area that Venezuela could demonstrate its solidarity and support.
Montserrat is the first Venezuelan Foreign Minister to pay official working visit to Ethiopia.