Guterres, during his transit at Bole International Airport, was welcomed by the Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs Mesganu Arga who thanked Guterres for his role and UN’s support for Ethiopia, as reported by the state-run TV Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

Mesganu briefed the UN chief about progress of the Pretoria Peace Deal, signed past November in South Africa and which ended the conflict between the government and the Tigray Liberation Front.

He reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the Ethiopian Government to consolidate peace and accelerate recovery efforts, stressing the significance of supporting national efforts.

Guterres, on the other hand, expressed his delight that Ethiopia has solved the northern conflict and is making progress, emphasizing peace and stability in Ethiopia has positive implications for the entire region, as Ethiopia has a central role in the region.

The two sides agreed to further strengthen the partnership between the UN and Ethiopia to support the post-conflict recovery initiatives of the Government.

At the end of the meeting, both leaders exchanged standpoints on current situation in Sudan, without providing further details.

pll/mem/nmr