Foreign Minister Støre will in addition meet with representatives of the Africa Union Commission.
Mr.Støre will arrive in Ethiopia from the Sudan, where he has had talks with the leadership in Khartoum as well as Juba.
- The Peace process in the Sudan has reached a decisive phase. We know that it will be a main topic on the international agenda in the year to come, said Mr.Støre at the beginning of his visit to the Sudan. He also underscored the need for Africa to be in the lead of the process, and the crucial role played by the Africa Union and its Sudan envoy, Mr.Thabo Mbeki.
Mr. Støre’s visit to Ethiopia follows a visit paid by H.E Seyoum Mesfin to Oslo in early April. The last time a Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Ethiopia was in 2004.
Norway has a comprehensive development programme with Ethiopia with particular focus on hydropower development, natural resource management and university cooperation, as well as increasing commercial and trade cooperation.