Ethiopia-Sudan - Keeping the Momentum

As part of their commitment to keep the momentum of their relationship going, Ethiopia and Sudan are having successive and successful bilateral consultations since last April. Following meetings of the two Ministerial Committees (Political and Economic) in the preceding month, the Social Affairs Committee concluded its first meeting last weekend.  The Social Committee’s scope encompasses co-operations in the field of social and labor affairs, education, health, tourism & culture as well as youth & sport.

The cooperation in this cross-cutting area has a catalytic role in the whole gamut of relations that the two countries currently enjoy.  The joint meeting has reviewed the existing agreements and identified key elements in each agreement. It has also developed an action plan for implementation.

The co-operation in the provision of scholarship is part and parcel of the general educational agreement; therefore an agreement was reached to establish a system of frameworks in order to ensure its implementation. It was agreed that the system has to be managed from one center including the selection process.  There will also be exchange of profiles between and among universities and research centers to facilitate co-operation in higher education.

The labor exchange agreement was another crucial element of the meeting.  Signed this year, it stipulates reciprocal exchange of manpower in various sectors in both countries where one has an advantage over the other.  The two sides also reached agreement to regulate migrant workers and to facilitate the sending by migrant workers of remittances to their respective home countries.

An agreement on Social Welfare and Children was also signed in the meeting.  The two countries have agreements of cooperation in health, culture, sport and youth.

It is believed that the implementation of the agreement in the social sector will help reinforce the people to people relations of the two countries.  The parties have also agreed to exchange quarterly reports on the level of implementation.