Blog
Ethiopia, Kenya Ink Cross-Border Trade Agreement
Follow us on Twitter: @GoAfricaNetwork
The governments of Kenya and Ethiopia have signed an agreement that aims at creating opportunities for communities at the borders of the two countries, President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Wednesday adding that the agreement will create stability and security.
Speaking at a farewell ceremony for Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Shemsedin Ahmed, President Kenyatta assured the outgoing envoy that his government is determined to implement the special status agreement signed between the two countries.
On the recent terror attacks that took place in Kenya, the president said that his country is committed to winning the war and that his government will continue working with and borrow best practices from Ethiopia, which also neighbors Somalia.
“A busy person will have no time thinking of taking a gun to commit crime, rather he would be so committed to their businesses which he/she knows will ensure they get their daily livelihoods,” the president said.
The Ethiopian envoy condoled with the president and the people of Kenya following the recent terror massacre in Mandera saying the Ethiopian government will work closely with Kenya to ensure they root out the Al-Shabaab menace in the region.
He assured the president that his government is committed to the implementation of the agreement saying it will ensure security and stability within the region.
By the Reporter
He said that the ongoing construction of Isiolo-Moyale road onwards to Ethiopia will facilitate economic growth and that the Ethiopian government is committed to enhancing border trade without much bureaucracy.
“Issues of currency will not matter when it comes to border trade. We will allow our people to trade freely with their neighbors with no restrictions,” Shemsedin said.
President Kenyatta said the agreement will not only accelerate the implementation of the infrastructural projects but also enhance relations between the peoples of the two countries.
“Everybody will gain; no one will lose in this agreement. This agreement will help our people move freely and develop together. It will help us move from government-to-government engagement to people-to-people relations,” Kenyatta said.