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International Community Hails Ethiopia-Eritrea Peace Agreement
The governments of the United States, Norway, South Africa, the Sudan and the United Kingdom (UK) have congratulated Ethiopia and Eritrea over the peace agreement, which was signed in Algiers, Algeria, on Tuesday marking an end to the two-year border war between the two Horn of African countries.
In his congratulation message delivered on Tuesday, US President Bill Clinton said: "My relief and happiness on this occasion mirrors the sadness I felt when I witnessed two allies and friends embroiled in a tragic conflict. I look forward to resuming our strong cooperation with Ethiopia and Eritrea across the spectrum of bilateral issues."
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir hailed the leadership of the two countries "for their belief in the peaceful resolution of the conflict", adding that he hoped the international community will provide necessary support to enable the two countries to maintain peace and rehabilitate their separate economies.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland said the peace agreement has laid a solid foundation for the lasting peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, adding that Norway hoped the two countries to cooperate with each other on developing economy and pursuing regional integration.
The agreement should also be a clear encouragement for other African countries to settle the conflicts which are preventing their cooperation and undermining the economic development of the entire continent, Jagland said.
A statement by the South African Foreign Ministry said that the peace accord, from which the two countries, the Horn of African region and the whole African continent will benefit in the immediate and long term, will also enable Africans to find solution to relative problems in Africa.
British Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain also expressed warm welcome to the comprehensive peace agreement, saying the political will that Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders have demonstrated in reaching this agreement must now focus on the future development of their countries.
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