Addis Ababa — Ethiopia and Tanzania have vowed to deepen their cooperation in various areas.

During the first Ethio-Tanzania Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Addis Ababa today, the two sides signed a MoU to cooperate on trade, industry, aviation, migration, and tourism.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos, highlighted the meeting as a key step in strengthening the historical and solid ties between the two nations.

Gedion emphasized the historical significance of Ethiopia and Tanzania in the Pan-African movement and their strong bilateral relations, particularly at the leadership level.

He called for enhanced economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Minister also stressed the importance of collaboration on shared regional and bilateral interests, leveraging opportunities like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to benefit both nations.

He reaffirmed Ethiopia's commitment to cooperation in natural resource utilization, agriculture, tourism, and other sectors. He also urged joint action on climate change, human trafficking, and terrorism.

The ministers agreed to enhance cooperation on the sustainable use of trans-boundary resources.

Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, on his part affirmed that the first joint ministerial commission meeting underscored the strategic partnership between the two nations.

He also expressed Tanzania's strong commitment to advancing its relations with Ethiopia to a higher level.

The meeting concluded with the signing of six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on trade, industry, aviation training, tourism training, livestock, and migration.

Both ministers urged relevant sectors in both countries to implement decisions swiftly and finalize pending MoUs.