"The launching of this social organization is hopefully to serve as a means to boost the intensity of relations between the two countries in the non-formal sector," Indonesian ambassador to Ethiopia, Ramli Sa`ud, said in a press release received by ANTARA in Cairo on Sunday.
The launching on Saturday at the Indonesian embassy in KBRI Addis Ababa was also attended by the director general of the Ethiopian foreign ministry for Asian, Middle Eastern, and Oceanian Affairs Dr. Arega Hailu and some 150 invitees, he said.
In his address, Hailu hoped the association may strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries which had already been engaged in diplomatic ties for more than 4 decades.
The bilateral relations between Ethiopia and Indonesia had been going on for the last 47 years, a very long time. It is expected the association would foster cooperation in various sectors including culture, trade and industry, Hailu said.
The association dubbed "Friends of Indonesia" is chaired by
Ato Aragae Kidane, a Ethiopian.
In his address, Kidane invited Ethiopians of Indonesia`s participants and sympethizers to join the social organization.
The local mass media including the Ethiopian news agency and television network, ETV1, and the "Media and Communication Center-REPORTER Addis Ababa", cover the launching of the association.
Previously last month the Indonesian embassy in Addis Ababa in cooperation with Addis Ababa University and the KADIN (Chamber of Trade and Industry) of Ethiopia held a seminar to observe the 47th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Indonesia and the East African country.
The seminar, bearing the editorial "Rejuvenating and Boosting Bilateral Relations" was attended by several local resource persons including Prof Dr Pramod K. Mishra, and deputy secretary general of the Ethiopian Kadin Ato Teferi Asfaw, and deputy secretary general of the Addis Ababa KADIN.
The seminar was also attended by local academicians and students, he said. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
