Ethiopian PM holds talks with Somali president

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Saturday held talks with President of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed on the current political and military situation in Somalia.

During their talks, Meles said his government would provide the necessary assistance for the realization of targets set by the TFG.

He told Yusuf Ethiopia would support the efforts of the TFG aimed at bringing about peace and stability through establishing security, defense and police force that involves all sections in Somalia.

For his part, Yusuf said he would attach due emphasis on ways of ensuring peace and stability in the country through bringing about consensus and accommodating various political powers in Somalia.

Yusuf, who arrived here Saturday to pay a two-day working visit, also indicated his readiness to carry out activities aimed at forming a strong central government with the participation of the Somali people.

The discussion between the two leaders was effective and conducted with mutual understanding, said Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin.

Though it is not time to say the terrorist group would not commit any damages in the future, it is possible to say that the danger posed by the terrorist forces on Ethiopia has been eliminated, Seyoum told journalists after the talks between Meles and Yusuf.

As Ethiopian forces are winding up their mission in Somalia, the two sides have agreed to jointly appeal for the deployment of an African peacekeeping force in a bid to avoid possible security vacuum, he said.

According to Seyoum, the two leaders agreed that Somalia, which was stateless for the past 16 years, has now entered the path to peace and stability.

He added the two sides also exchanged views on activities due to be carried out in the future.

Last week, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) was routed by the Ethiopia-backed TFG forces from its stronghold in the capital Mogadishu and the southern part of the country.

Source: Xinhua