ADDIS ABABA – The Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Miroslav Kosek, highlighted the growing interests of both nations to enhance their cooperation across diverse sectors. In a conversation with ENA, Ambassador Kosek underscored the longstanding diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and the Czech Republic, which span various areas such as mining, hydrogeology, and development cooperation.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the relationship between the two countries was further solidified through mutual visits by their prime ministers. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia visited the Czech Republic in November last year for discussions with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, aiming to deepen bilateral ties. Prior to this, Prime Minister Fiala conducted a three-day working visit to Ethiopia, marking a continued effort to strengthen diplomatic and cooperative relations.
During his visit, Prime Minister Abiy explored opportunities to expand Ethio-Czech cooperation in agriculture, tourism, and culture, among others. These high-level exchanges are crucial for reinforcing existing relationships and exploring new avenues for mutual cooperation. “Our two prime ministers discussed on concrete fields of possible cooperation and they found a lot of fields where both are interested to cooperate,” Ambassador Kosek noted, highlighting the importance of broadening the scope of their collaboration.
The ambassador also stressed the significance of cultural exchanges and shared experiences as foundational to opening a new chapter in Ethio-Czech relations. With both nations boasting rich cultural heritages, Kosek mentioned a promising initiative to enhance cooperation between their national museums, indicating a commitment to identifying and pursuing collaborative opportunities in various domains.
Further solidifying their intent to deepen ties, Ambassador Kosek revealed plans for political consultations in Prague scheduled for late April, in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These discussions aim to be a proactive step toward more vigorous and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Kosek affirmed the Czech Republic’s dedication to supporting Ethiopia’s development initiatives, highlighting Ethiopia as a priority for Czech development cooperation. The ambassador detailed efforts to share knowledge and experience in environmental protection and sustainable agriculture, with a focus on comprehensive rural development to ensure food security while conserving the landscape and managing land and forests sustainably.