ADDIS ABABA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Workneh Gebeyehu on Monday asserted the need to strengthen the long-standing cooperation between Ethiopia and Russia.
In his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Russia's capital Moscow on Monday, Gebeyehu said the Ethio-Russia relations, which dated back some 120 years, have good prospect and potential for further growth, Ethiopia's state news agency reported on Monday.
The two foreign ministers have discussed bilateral and international issues of mutual interest as well as ways to strengthen their cooperation in many sectors, including infrastructure, trade and other economic spheres.
Gebeyehu, who invited Russian companies to invest in the east African country, further noted that Ethiopia's mining and energy sectors would be good opportunities for Russian companies.
Russian company, Inter RAO-Export, has recently expressed its interest in the construction and modernization of hydroelectric stations in Ethiopia, while another Russian oil and gas company, GPB Global Resources, is already exploring hydrocarbons in the eastern part of Ethiopia.
The two countries, as part of their push to strengthen their cooperation, have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on scientific and technical cooperation, including the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
