Many positive developments like tree seedlings plantation in Ethiopia also benefit South Sudan, Vice President Taban Deng Gai said.
The South Sudanese Vice President, who concluded a three-day working visit to Ethiopia yesterday, told ENA that many positive development like the Green Legacy in Ethiopia certainly benefit South Sudan.
The “tree growing initiative of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is beneficial to the environment of South Sudan. They (Ethiopian officials) are also going to supply us trees so that we could do the same in South Sudan.”
Taban Deng Gai said that “The governments of Ethiopia have been standing with us. The current peace agreement (Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)) that we implemented in South Sudan (for instance) originated from Addis Ababa.”
Taban Deng Gai noted that “Ethiopia is our big brother and sister, the big brother always takes care of the sibling and the young one so that (s/he) may also grow stronger.”
South Sudanese are endowed with a lot of resources, the vice president said, adding that the government believes also that the people of Ethiopia have a right to benefit from all these resources so that South Sudanese could also benefit from Ethiopia.
“What we have been lacking is these linkages in terms of roads and river transport,” he said.
Speaking about the mission of the high level delegation he headed during his visit to Djibouti earlier, the vice president said “I have been sent by my president to explore the prospect of making use of the port of Djibouti as it has a lot of potential. Currently it is only serving Ethiopia and Djibouti.”
South Sudan “wants access (to the port) through road that also goes through Ethiopia so that the people of South Sudan can get services of import and export,” he added.
The vice president stated that he had very good meetings with the people and Government of Ethiopia and the President of Djibouti, “who is very committed to supporting South Sudan and Ethiopia by opening this corridor so that we can use the port.”
“We have agreed that we construct the road of Pagak and Palouge this year so that the material for oil exploration and development can come from Djibouti to the oil field in the area of Palouge and oil field in the Unity State,” Gai said.
The high level delegation led by the Vice President of South Sudan also met with Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide on Thursday and discussed about ways of enhancing infrastructure connectivity between the two countries.
The officials have agreed on ways to enhance their previously designed plans in the areas of roads infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, water transportation, and other vital economic sectors with a view to creating integration for mutual benefits.
