Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali arrived in Algiers late Sunday afternoon as part of a two-day official visit, the Algerian Prime Minister announced in a statement. He was welcomed on his arrival at the Houari-Boumediene international airport by his Algerian counterpart, Aïmene Benabderrahmane and members of his government.
Immediately after his arrival, Abiy Ahmed Ali laid a wreath of flowers in front of the commemorative stele at the Martyr’s Shrine in Algiers and observed a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs of the National Liberation War. He then went to the National Museum of the Moudjahid where detailed explanations were provided to him on the different stages that marked the history of Algeria, in particular its fight for the recovery of its national sovereignty.
The purpose of this visit and its program were not communicated by the Algerian authorities. Ethiopia had closed its embassy in Algiers since August 2021 due, the representation of this country announced at the time, “to a restructuring decided by the Ethiopian authorities who closed 50% of their embassies around the world”. But relations between the two countries, said the same source, “will remain intact and a non-resident ambassador was responsible for managing the Algeria file from Addis Ababa”.
The last visit by a senior Ethiopian official dates back to the beginning of last July. And it was President Sahle-Work Zewde who, after taking part in Algeria’s 60th anniversary festivities, followed up with a three-day state visit, at the head of a large delegation.
A solemn welcome was reserved for him at the seat of the Presidency of the Algerian Republic. During a joint press conference, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that he had agreed with his Ethiopian counterpart to “the opening, as soon as possible, of a direct airline between Algiers and Addis Ababa”, stressing that his talks with the Ethiopian President had made it possible to “take stock” of bilateral relations.
According to the Algerian Head of State, “these relations remain below the aspirations of the two countries, two great friendly and close states”, hence the imperative “to work for their promotion in all areas”. Abdelmadjid Tebboune had hoped, on the occasion, that the visit of his Ethiopian counterpart could “constitute a new start” for economic and political relations between the two countries.
Describing her discussions with President Tebboune as “fruitful”, the Ethiopian President noted, for her part, that her visit to Algeria “testifies to the ties uniting the two countries which are working to promote them”. She also announced the holding of the Algerian-Ethiopian Joint Commission, next September, in Addis Ababa.
