Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission Decision

April 17, 2002

Japan welcomes the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission on April 13 (Sat) concerning the delimitation and demarcation of the common border between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Japan strongly hopes that Ethiopia and Eritrea will implement the decision in good faith, further promote the peace process in concert with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), and commit themselves to the improvement of their relations.
Japan extended assistance of 1,083,000 dollars to the UN Trust Fund in support of the delimitation and demarcation of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, and also extended assistance on two occasions, totaling more than one million dollars, for UN programs for demining on the border area between the two countries, which are indispensable for the delimitation and demarcation process. Japan intends to continue its assistance to the two countries aiming at a final solution of the border conflict.

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