ADDIS ABABA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have vowed to work together on continental, regional and bilateral issues of common interest towards development.
The two leaders announced their respective country's commitment as part of Kagame's two-day state visit to the East African country starting Friday, where he paid a visit to Ethiopia's major development infrastructures such as Ethiopia's flagship Chinese-built Hawassa Industrial Park.
Kagame, who is also the current chairperson of the African Union (AU), met and discussed with Ethiopia's Ahmed, as the two pledged to cooperate in various development agendas.
Kagame, who lauded the two countries' existing ties, said after his visit to the Hawassa Industrial Park that "we can only move forward hand in hand together in many spheres, and work together like never before."
The two leaders have also emphasized on the implementation of the various bilateral agreements signed before, which include the 11 signed agreements across multiple sectors last year as part of the visit of Ethiopia's former Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, to Rwanda.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders' discussions focused on "ways of further strengthening the longstanding, multifarious and historical relations between Ethiopia and Rwanda."
The two leaders have also raised various issues on continental matters that include the free trade agreement, which the Ethiopian premier dubbed Rwanda as "the pioneer" with regard to Africa's continental free trade ambition.
"The issue of economic integration was a dream for our forefathers now my dear brother (Kagame) is realizing that vision," Ahmed said, adding that "Rwanda is taking a measure to integrate Africa."
Ahmed further stressed the ambition to work together, saying that "we will continue to work together to change the continent. I am sure in the next few years we will release some of our visions to change our continent so welcome to your home."
Kagame, as part of his tour inside Ethiopia's flagship Chinese-built Hawassa Industrial Park late on Friday, had visited some of the international textile and apparel companies, including PVH, a company known for marketing diversified portfolio of brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
He also paid a visit to the park's Zero Liquid Discharge facility, an environment-friendly sanitation facility.
Kagame's visit to the Hawassa industrial park and other infrastructures in Ethiopia is expected to share the positive aspects of Ethiopia's experience on the sector to Rwanda, according to the Ethiopian Government Communications Affairs Office.
The industrial park, which the Ethiopian government considers as a model for the construction of other industrial zones across the country, has proved successful immediately after its inauguration in July 2016. It has attracted world-class textile and apparel companies to the country.
Built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the Hawassa industrial park, located in Ethiopia's southern city of Hawassa, was completed in a record time of nine months.
The Ethiopian government has previously disclosed its plan to generate close to 1 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue from the park once it starts operations at its full potential.
