Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde discussed on Thursday with Egypt's newly appointed Ambassador to Addis Osama Abdel-Khalek cooperation between the two countries in a ceremony held for the ambassador credentials submission, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry read.

The ceremony was held at the presidential palace in Addis Ababa.

The Egyptian ambassador conveyed President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's greetings to his Ethiopian counterpart, stressing the great interest Egypt has in developing bilateral relations.

El-Sisi's message also highlighted the importance of enhancing the bonds of friendship between the Egyptian and Ethiopian peoples and building on the important visit by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Cairo last June.

The new ambassador said that he is looking forward to advancing the various aspects of the partnership between the two countries, including on the political, economic, commercial and cultural levels.

The ambassador stressed the importance of joint work between the two sides to maximise the opportunities for regional integration.

He then highlighted Egypt's keenness to coordinate closely with the Ethiopian government on various African issues and the development of peace and security in the continent, especially during Egypt's presidency of the African Union starting 10 February 2019.

Abdel-Khalek highlighted that cooperation between the two countries is vital, especially for the upcoming African summit, which will be held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 10 and 11 February 2019.