Normalization of Ethio-Eritrean Ties to Take TimeEthiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said that the recent signing of the comprehensive peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea does not mean the bilateral relation has improved.The official Ethiopian Herald newspaper Wednesday quoted Meles as saying that the normalization of ties and building of friendship with Eritrea require more efforts and changes in the policies adopted by Eritrean government. Meles charged that the Eritrean government led by President Issaias Afwerki lacks credibility in dealing with other countries. Referring to the economic system of the Eritrean government, Meles claimed that Eritrea was trying to use its ports of Assab and Massawa as a tool for blackmail. "If we are to move toward normalizing ties, we have to make sure that those two ports will not be used for blackmailing us," Meles said. "We have to take into account that we should either stop using the ports altogether even after the normalization of ties or use them according to international guarantees," he added. Ethiopia became a landlocked country ever since Eritrea, which used to be a state of Ethiopia, declared independence in accordance with a referendum in 1993. Ethiopia had been using the ports of Assab and Massawa until May 1998 when a border conflict broke out between the two countries. The premier also demanded Eritrea to demobilize its massive troops, indicating Eritrea must convert itself from a military state into an ordinary one. It is reported that Eritrea currently has some 300,000 troops, which is about 10 percent of the country's population. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |