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Djibouti, Mar 4, 2009 – Ambassador of Finland to Ethiopia Kirsti Aarnio
presented her Letters of Credence to President Ismail Omar Guelleh of
Djibouti on 26 January. Ms Aarnio is the first Finnish ambassador to
Djibouti. Official diplomatic relations between Finland and Djibouti
were established already on 14 March 2007.
In the formal ceremony, Ambassador Aarnio was accompanied by Second
Secretary Anssi Kullberg and Conflict Advisor Simo-Pekka Parviainen from
the Finnish Embassy in Addis Abeba.
In her speech to President Guelleh, Ambassador Aarnio emphasised the
strategic importance of the small Republic of Djibouti at the
intersection between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. She said that
Djibouti is an important commercial port for many African countries and
that it serves, for example, as a gateway for nearly all deliveries to
Ethiopia.
The Ambassador also acknowledged Djibouti and President Guelleh for
their contribution to peace work in Somalia.
President Guelleh welcomed the opening of diplomatic relations with
Finland and said that especially now that the situation in the Horn of
Africa is politically unstable, it is important to establish new
partnerships with friendly countries.
The President also noted that Djibouti hopes that Finland will engage in
cooperation with his country in the water sector, in particular, because
the country suffers from chronic lack of water due to the arid soil and
torrid climate.
Ambassador Aarnio also met Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssuf, Speaker
of Parliament Idriss Arnaoud Ali and members of the local diplomatic
corps.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Finland
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