Rwanda’s envoy to Ethiopia Protais Mitali yesterday presented his letter of credence to President Mulatu Teshome of Ethiopia at the Presidential Palace in Addis Ababa.

According to a statement from the embassy, President Teshome told Mitali that Ethiopia and Rwanda enjoy excellent ties and that the two countries should continue to work together to support each other's development aspirations.

"Our two peoples and countries have a special relationship, let us therefore continue to build on this for the socio-economic development of our two economies and citizens,” the Ethiopian leader is quoted in the statement as saying.

On regional and continental issues, the President said that Ethiopia and Rwanda have a special role to play in regional and continent is peace and security.

"Our two countries have a special responsibility to promote regional and continental peace and security as well as working hard for the realisation of the vision of regional and continental integration,” said Teshome.

Mitali said the sister nations have a lot in common and that as a Rwandan envoy, he will do his best to ensure that the people of the two countries take advantage of this.

"I will do my best to further strengthen cooperation and ties between our two sister countries and ensure realisation of commitments enshrined in bilateral agreements that we signed,” Mitali said.

Rwanda and Ethiopia set up a Joint Permanent Commission in 2012 to strengthen bilateral cooperation, a general cooperation agreement to shape and expand cooperation in the political, economic, trade and investment, education, health and other fields as well as another strategic partnership on issues of defence and security.

The two countries have widely cooperated and remain instrumental in continental and regional peace and security initiatives.

Mitali, who was appointed in July replacing Joseph Nsengimana, is also Permanent Representative to AU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

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