From: aklilu w (akliluw@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Jun 01 2009 - 21:20:47 EDT
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Thursday 15 January 2009
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Ethiopian PM buries the hatchet with Eritrea amid threats
He invites Eritrea amid recent threats
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Thursday he was to discuss a peaceful end to the cold war with the Eritrean government, if Asmara feels an urgent need to discuss a peace proposal.
"We are not uncomfortable with the status quo but it is in our interest to have peace. We will consider the status quo as unhealthy, unwelcome, but we will live with the status quo indefinitely," the Prime Minister told journalists Thursday.
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Eritrea has been engaging in what Ethiopia considers as "unhealthy" propaganda to smear the name of Ethiopia. The continuing threat of war between the two countries has been considered a threat to regional stability.
Ethiopia said it was ready to discus a peace proposal with Eritrea, if Asmara feels ready to discuss peace, but would not rush into such discussions unless the Eritrean government expresses its wish to discuss peace.
"We are ready to wait for them until such a time when they feel the need for peace, at that time, we will be ready with our peace proposal," Meles told journalists.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister said he was aware of the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s latest seven-hour long press interview, which focused on bashing Ethiopia. He said it was less worrying to him "so long as they do not bloody my nose."
Eritrea has been resisting efforts to have the border row between the two states discussed in a peaceful manner. The continuous spat between the two countries heightened after the Ethiopians attacked militias in Somalia.
Meles said that his forces moved to Somalia to neutralise "present and clear danger" posed by the Eritrean and the Ethiopian opposition to his government.