Friday, December 20, 2013
State
Minister Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Christos received a US delegation led by James Mc Anulty , US Special Representative to Somalia at
his offices.
The Special Envoy expressed his appreciation to Ethiopia's continued
commitment to stability in Somalia and the region as a whole and for its
support in hosting huge number of war displaced Somalis. He also
mentioned USA's interest in further bolstering counter-terrorism cooperation within the region in general and Ethiopia in particular.
Speaking of current security
situation in Somalia, he said "defeating Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Shabaab
requires not only a military solution but also political solution in
the form of better provision of basic pubic basic services
which also helps to bring progress in the counter-terrorism narrative."
Ambassador Berhane for his part noted that Ethiopia and USA share
values in countering terrorism in the region.
He said "terrorism is a great concern for us and we will continue to
contribute whatever we can to make our region safer through the global counter terrorism
efforts." He said the Ethiopian troops which will soon join AMISOM
forces will help Ethiopia to contribute to Somalia's stability in a more
effective way. He affirmed Ethiopia's readiness to closely work with
USA for stability of Somalia.