ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Horn of Africa, once considered Africa's troubled region, has witnessed a new high in the relations among neighboring countries as leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia declared new partnership initiative.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, stressed in a joint statement released after their two-day meeting in Ethiopia' s northern city of Bahir Dar late Saturday that they would work towards the historic transformation of the Horn of Africa region towards peace and integration.
The three leaders' commitment marked a new beginning to Africa' s most restive region, which is long attributed for a deadliest war and the subsequent two-decade armed standoff between Ethiopia and Eritrea, terrorism in Somali as well as blame game among countries for supporting rebels and terrorist.
"The three leaders reviewed developments and achievements since the signing of Asmara joint declaration on friendship and comprehensive cooperation in September and noted with satisfaction the tangible and positive outcomes already registered and agreed to consolidate their mutual solidarity and support in addressing challenges that they face individually and collectively," the joint statement reads.
The three leaders' latest meeting was a follow up to the previous discussion, and an eventual peace accord, that was held in September this year in Asmara, capital of Eritrea.
During the Asmara tripartite meeting, they had signed a Joint Declaration Agreement on Comprehensive Cooperation, which also followed by a tripartite summit on the enhancement of regional ties of partnership.
"Sharing close ties of geography, history, culture, religion and vital common interests the peoples of Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea need to further respect each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," the joint declaration said.
After decades of hostility and rivalry, a recent thaw in relations between the three Horn of Africa nations is considered as a new beginning towards normalizing diplomatic relations in the troubled region.
Eritrea and Somalia that have been blaming each other for supporting rebel and terrorist groups, had recently commenced diplomatic relations, marking a new beginning among the two countries.
Recent positive developments between Ethiopia and Eritrea also came after two decades long bitter armed standoff since the two countries bloody two-year border war from 1998-2000, that killed an estimated 70,000 people from both sides.
After 20 years of hostility, the two countries resumed diplomatic relations on July 8, when Ethiopia's PM Ahmed made a landmark visit to the Red Sea nation and a week after, Eritrea's Afwerki paid a courtesy visit to Ethiopia.
Amid the easing tensions, telecom services between the two countries have resumed, embassies resumed diplomatic relations, and agreements were made to strengthen economic ties.
The two countries' flag carriers - Ethiopian Airlines and Eritrean Airlines - have also started flights to Asmara and Addis Ababa respectively.
Leaders of the two countries, in another bid to augment their growing ties, had also agreed to increase the movement and amount of bilateral trade through Eritrea's port city of Assab to landlocked Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
In addition to diplomatic relations, Ethiopia and Eritrea are also undertaking steps to strengthen cultural and people-to-people links between the two countries.
A cultural symposium, which was held last month here in Addis Ababa, had brought together 500 participants drawn from both countries, including senior government officials from both countries, who discussed various issues that include ways to enhance the cultural and linguistic ties as well as the need for cultural collaboration between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Peoples of the three countries - who shared similar socio-cultural traits and language, are also currently celebrating the normalization of ties among countries in the region.
With the re-opening of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border in September in the aftermath of the fast paced diplomatic rapprochement, Zalambessa and other Ethiopian entry points are busy serving as a gateway and meeting point in renewed commercial and cultural interaction between the two countries.
Fiyori Bizen, an Ethiopian mother of three living on the outskirts of Ethiopia's border town of Zalambessa, is a member of the border community that are celebrating the new positive diplomatic ties.
Speaking to Xinhua in a recent interview, Bizen confirmed that her house has transformed from a shelter to one that is facilitating her new business of providing coffee drinks to travelers from both countries.
"I have an increasing customer list of drivers, regular commuters and soldiers from both countries, ever since my coffee drinks business opened a week ago," said Bizen.
