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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: For dancing and applauding, the long-time president of Eritrea arrived in Ethiopia for his first visit for 22 years on Saturday amidst a dramatic diplomatic thaw between his rivals formerly acerbic
. each one of us, "said President Isaias Afwerki, whoever thinks that Eritreans and Ethiopians are separated is now considered naive.
Thousands of people have visited the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa , under heavy surveillance to greet Isaias, whose three-day visit is the latest in ending a long state of war.The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmad, made a similar visit to the capital of Eritrea on last weekend, welcomed by Isaias with cuddles and laughter
Abiy, 42, broke the ice last month by fully accepting a peace agreement that ended a 1998- 1998 border war. The year 2000 saw tens of thousands of deaths and separated families, and a series of diplomatic breakthroughs ensued as one of Africa's oldest conflicts drew to a close. [2] 19659005] Some Et Excited hiopians have compared the restoration of relations with one of the world's most closed countries to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Telephone links were opened, some Ethiopians calling for complete strangers in Eritrea to greet each other, and Ethiopian Airlines' first scheduled flights to Eritrea begin Wednesday
. A visibly moved Abiy congratulated Saturday the inhabitants of the capital for their warm welcome. the Eritrean president, with his songs "Isaias! Isaias! "And Waving Flags."
"I am very moved right now. I do not have words to express how proud I am, "said Abiy at a luncheon at the National Palace
" Thank you for the sincere love that you have all shown us Isaias said in return. The Eritrean leader also received a "surprise gift" from a horse, shield and spear by one of Ethiopia's regional leaders, said the Chief of Staff of Abiy. The international community, including the United States, has welcomed the meeting as a welcome development in a key, and often unstable, region along one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. in front of the Arabian Peninsula.
The former embbady of Eritrea in Addis Ababa underwent a rapid renovation and is expected to open during the Isaias visit. The two leaders are also expected to attend Sunday a concert of about 25,000 people representing local artists,
. Ethiopians lined the streets for a glimpse of the procession of Isaias chanted songs that criticized the Tigray People's Liberation Front. the first political party of the ruling coalition and hostile to Eritrea until the new prime minister came to power in April and embarked on a wave of breathtaking reforms in the second nation the most populous of Africa
. The country of 5 million people perched on the Red Sea has been ruled by Isaias since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after years of rebel war.
While the two countries share close cultural ties, the border war and the refusal of Ethiopia's Isaias, 72, used disputed border areas to keep Eritrea in a state of military readiness , with a compulsory conscription system that drove thousands of Eritreans to flee to Europe, Israel and other countries.
Social media said Saturday that a "dictator" like Isaias should not receive such a warm welcome.
Observers now wonder if the end of the fighting with Ethiopia will lead Eritrea, long criticized by human rights groups, to
Trade is a Another goal is that Ethiopia, a landlocked country, is looking for opportunities for its fast-growing economy and has already signed agreements to use the port facilities of Eritrea.
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