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Italian closer cooperation with Ethiopia for Somalia
Djibouti (HAN) May 18th, 2007  -Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he wanted to end the "onerous" financial burden of having Ethiopian troops, estimated to be several thousand in number, in Somalia.

"Things have improved significantly in Mogadishu, making it possible for peacekeeping troops to do their job," he said.

"I very much hope and expect that those African countries that have promised to send troops will do so."


Italian Deputy Foreign Minister said Italy would work in closer cooperation with Ethiopia in bringing lasting peace and stability in Somalia.
Italy would provide the necessary support for the Somali peace and reconciliation conference that would be held in mid June this year.

While conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Thursday afternoon, Patrizia Sentinelli told journalists that her country would cooperate with Ethiopia in bringing lasting peace and stability in Somalia and provide the necessary support.

Italy would provide the necessary support to Somali national peace and reconciliation conference to be held in the country soon.

Italy would also provide support to the efforts of African peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Sentinelli said.

She told journalists that ways in which Italy could cooperate with Ethiopia in bringing peace and stability in Somalia and the planned Somali national peace and reconciliation conference were at the core of the discussions she had with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The discussions with the Prime Minister were fruitful, she said, adding the bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and Italy particularly in the agriculture sector is good. Economic, trade, cultural and political cooperation between the two countries is becoming successful.

During the discussions Prime Minister Meles said the situation in Somalia is improving.

Meles said Ethiopia and Italy had agreed to bring peace and stability in Somalia and there is a desire on both sides to solidify this agreement.

The two countries have desire to cooperate in strengthening the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia its defense and police forces; he said, adding there are also several areas in which the two countries could work together.

He also said Italy and the international community to extend necessary support to the African peacekeeping mission in Somalia. A senior government official who attended the discussions quoted Meles, as saying that strengthening the political situation in Somalia is necessary to solve the country’s problems, which should be spearheaded by Somalis themselves.

Meles told Sentinelli that Ethiopia would withdraw its defense forces from Somalia in a responsible way.

AU commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare says it would be a "catastrophe" if Ethiopia pulled out too soon.

US Africa envoy Jendayi Frazer said it would probably be several months before the full peacekeeping force arrived.

Ethiopia's prime minister says he wants to withdraw all his troops, after they helped oust Islamists.

Up to a third of the population fled recent fighting in the capital, Mogadishu, and badly need aid.  The Geeska Afrika Magazine Sources:  HAN staff in Addis Ababa

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