Top Ethiopian diplomat due in Turkey on Monday

Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen will pay a two-day visit to Turkey starting from Monday, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

“During the talks, bilateral relations will be discussed, also exchange of views concerning regional and international issues will take place,” the ministry said in a written statement.

The visit comes on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the first diplomatic contacts between Turkey and Ethiopia, it noted.

The ministry added that the official inauguration ceremony of Ethiopia's new embassy building in the Turkish capital Ankara will be held with the participation of Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Ethiopia started in 1896 with the exchange of delegations during the rule of Sultan Abdulhamid II and Emperor Menelik II, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.